Michelle Strong

To secure long-term distribution and revenue growth, Strong leads her team in negotiating deals, managing accounts and developing new ways to monetize A+E’s content across all platforms. She is especially proud of Lifetime’s proactive push to give women more opportunities. “All of our recent scripted series have women showrunners and we are leaders in the industry in terms of women behind the camera, including giving women their first opportunities as directors,” she says.

Do you see any potential backlash to the Me Too/Time’s Up movements?
I’m less concerned about backlash and more interested in those impacted being heard. We can’t allow fear to prevent anyone from speaking their truth. Also, isn’t the movement about standing up in spite of any potential backlash?

What’s a recent example of a step forward for women in the media industry?
I think Lifetime is doing an excellent job. All of our recent scripted series have women showrunners and we are leaders in the industry in terms of women behind the camera, including giving women their first opportunities as directors.

What’s been the most dramatic change in your sector of the business today vs. three years ago?
Data and its impact on technology, content creation, monetization and distribution.

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