Susan Swain

“I’m excited to see the growth of women in what were more traditionally male areas of our business, such as engineering, technology and finance,” says 23-year C-SPAN executive Swain. For her part, Swain immerses herself more each year in the coverage of public affairs and key decision-makers. With an expertise in communications, she oversees a staff of more than 250 who can be found filming in Congress, on the road via the C-SPAN bus and, of late, reporting on the race for the White House. This year, the network brought back the popular Swain-hosted series “First Ladies: Images & Influence” to strong results.

Where are the biggest growth areas for women in cable? 

I’m excited to see the growth of women in what were more traditionally male areas of our business such as engineering/technology and finance. And, the emphasis on STEM studies can only help to position more women for leadership roles in these areas in the future.

Best trick for maintaining the personal-professional life balance?

I think this gets more challenging all the time in an always-connected world, plus when I get home, there’s always too much good content to watch on-demand. Need another five hours in my day.

Your favorite trick for unwinding?

Walking. Especially walking with a friend so that my focus is on that friendship, rather than solving work or life issues. I have become addicted to my Fitbit, which has a habit of nagging me when I forget to get in my daily steps.