Everyone’s favorite July programming wouldn’t exist without Williams-Fauntroy. She negotiates and drafts programming and development deals for Discovery, including the 30th anniversary of Shark Week. Williams-Fauntroy is a national board member for NAMIC and previously has been a long-standing board member at Washington, DC’s Duke Ellington School for the Arts. She is also co-chair and executive sponsor of Discovery’s Black Cultural Alliance, and is very active in Discovery’s “MentorNet,” a program that enables employees to apply for in-house mentors and mentees. Williams-Fauntroy cites her mother as an inspirational figure in her life. “My mom is recently widowed (after nearly 50 years of marriage) and has suffered some serious health challenges, yet she remains positive, upbeat and spirited,” she says. “I am often envious of her optimism, her gracious spirit and her ability to remain bright.”
Who is an inspirational woman you admire, and why?
I have admiration (and adoration) for my mother. And, yes, I know that seems predictable. However, my mom is recently widowed (after nearly 50 years of marriage) and has suffered some serious health challenges yet she remains positive, upbeat and spirited. I am often envious of her optimism, her gracious spirit and her ability to remain bright. I hope she has passed those genes along to me.
What’s been the most dramatic change in your sector of the business today vs. three years ago?
The way viewers watch TV has been and continues to be a dramatic change in our “TV” business. We see the change in what people watch (e.g. more short form content is consumed), where they watch (e.g. on-the-go and on smaller screens) and how they watch (e.g. abandoning “traditional” cable providers for internet accessible bundled services). These changes demonstrate a shift in consumption habits by the consumers and force the content providers to adapt accordingly. Ultimately it makes for a dynamic playing field.
If there were a reality show based on your office, what would it be called?
“Never a Dull Moment!” (clearly, I’m not on the title committee at work)
