Vera Buzanello

While managing the entire distribution infrastructure of Discovery’s Latin American portfolio, over the past year Buzanello has overseen 140 launches while rolling out HD versions of the channels throughout the region and adding Discovery Turbo to basic packages. She sees new distribution platforms as key. “This has the potential and is changing the consumer behavior, and the industry will need to change along with [the consumers],” she says. “The content needs to be provided on different platforms,” she says. “Therein lies the challenge of figuring out how to balance the traditional business model vs. the new and diverse distribution platforms.”

Who has been your strongest mentor, and why?

My father was my strongest mentor.  He had numerous challenges growing up and throughout his life and he managed to be a successful and exemplary father and head of the household, regardless of the setbacks or the challenges.  He was always looking forward to living each day; and that is how I remember him.  He appreciated life.

What qualities do you look for when making a new hire?

There are three very important qualities that I look for in a new hire: they need to be open and willing to learning new things; they need to be ambitious and persistent in reaching their goals and objectives; and probably most important of all – they need to be a team player.

Name one emerging trend in cable we should all have our eyes on.

Certainly, the new distribution platforms are something to keep our eye on; this has the potential and is changing the consumer behavior, and the industry will need to change along with them (the consumers); the content needs to be provided on different platforms.  However, therein lies the challenge of figuring out how to balance the traditional business model vs. the new and diverse distribution platforms.