Education: MBA, Colgate University; Harvard Business School
Comcast switched up its leadership this month, naming Watson president and CEO of Comcast Cable as Smit transitions to vice chairman of Comcast. What remains the same is this foursome’s commitment to the company, and customers, they serve. Watson now officially oversees all operational aspects of Comcast Cable, including customer growth targets on a base that, as of Q3 2016, consists of 22.4 million video customers, 24.3 million high-speed Internet customers and 11.6 million voice customers. In addition to handling the corporation’s financial matters, Cavanagh oversees strategic planning and corporate development—including last year’s $3.8 billion acquisition of DreamWorks Animation. Smit has strived to deliver fast, new technology including X1, Cloud DVR and DOCSIS 3.1, to Comcast subscribers, which led to one of the company’s most impressive quarters of the past decade. At NBCU, Burke’s programming strategies for the 2016 Summer Olympics lifted NBC and NBC Sports to the top of the broadcast and cable ratings throughout the duration of the Games. Add in the success of DreamWorks’ animated feature “The Secret Life of Pets” and a banner year for NBCU’s theme parks, and this team has had an unbeatable year.
