Sofko is a deal maker. She helped close the acquisition of 1091 Pictures and Sonar Entertainment and their content libraries, as well as the Redbox transaction. Those acquisitions have helped Chicken Soup for the Soul triple its content library over the past year. She’s also played a big role in the company’s increasing FAST channel lineup from about 75 to more than 150 by the end of 2022.
“A woman who inspires me is Madeline Berger, also known as the godmother of digital at ESPN. Madeline’s strategic prowess and dealmaking skills enabled her to compete in a muscle-flexing male environment just by focusing on logic, facts and the right deal.”
What fork in your career had the most impact? In ’98 I joined “CD Radio,” which later became SiriusXM. It was my first startup & I was among the first hired. The work I did there set precedent and was groundbreakingly innovative. The experiences I gained there fueled future career opportunities that shaped a seriously interesting run in Media & Entertainment. So far.
What should companies do to ensure more women are in senior leadership roles? This isn’t hard. Hire/promote women. If the CEO believes women are as good as men in senior leadership, there’s no reason why women shouldn’t occupy half those roles. If that’s not the case, reflect on what that says about your company to your board, your clients, your investors?