Cablefax The Magazine - October 2021 - 36

Savalle Sims
EVP, General Counsel
Discovery, Inc.
As a commitment to increasing and
embracing diversity within the legal
department, Sims created two new
internship programs specifically providing law students from
diverse populations the opportunity to gain valuable experience
in a variety of areas relevant to the media industry. For Sims,
collaboration is the key to building a great team and to delivering
best-in-class legal services on a global scale. By advocating
for a diverse workforce with colleagues both internally and
externally, Sims has been integral in helping Discovery and the
industry at large to build and nurture a diverse and inclusive
workplace that attracts, retains and rewards exceptional talent.
Sims says, " My best advice for fostering open, honest communication
is focusing on being transparent, authentic and respectful
in how one communicates with others. "
Melody Smalls
EVP, Global Human Resources
Allen Media Group
Smalls is music to professional women's
ears. She participated in the WICT
Junior Board earlier in her career and
has remained active endorsing others for leadership opportunities.
She served as a mentor for Pathbuilders, an organization
that shapes the future for high-performing female leaders. Her
HR role has her harmonizing health and welfare benefits for
Allen Media Group's growing number of businesses. She was
named an OnCon Icon Top 100 Human Resources Professional
this year. In 2012, she chartered a chapter of children's advocacy
organization Jack & Jill of America, Inc. She served as chair
of the organization's " 5-Star Chapter of Excellence " committee
and currently chairs Debutante Interview workshops, where she
teaches female high school students skills from interviewing and
resume writing to dressing for an interview. Smalls hopes the
younger generation finds inspiration in professional tennis player
Naomi Osaka. Not only is she incredibly talented, but Smalls also
views Osaka as a role model for " allowing herself to be vulnerable
by openly discussing her personal challenges. This is a true
sign of strength and character, which is quite admirable. "
Jeffrey Smith
SVP & Senior Deputy General
Counsel, General Operations
Comcast Cable
Smith is about to ring in his 30th
year with Comcast, and the last few
have been ones to remember. He's been wearing several new
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CablefaxDiversity.com
October 2021
Diversity List
hats since the start of the pandemic, offering guidance on how
the company should approach COVID-19 protocols and what
practices should be established or encouraged. In usual times, he
and his team are seen as key advisors on everything from pricing
and purchasing to advertising and general operations. He has
always been a formal and informal mentor to many of Comcast's
up-and-comers, making it a priority to help young employees
of color with their professional development. " There has been a
simmering dissatisfaction with the status quo among marginalized
communities, and in particular people of color, for some time
and the many social upheavals of last year brought those concerns
forward, " he says. " It's incumbent upon us all to now act. "
Tony Song
SVP, Ad Sales & Partnerships
AMC Networks
As a key member of the AMC Networks
ad sales team for 12 years,
Song is now one of the key architects
of AMC Networks' Upfront & Scatter strategy. He consistently
positions AMC Networks and its premium content as must-have
destinations for advertisers. Song serves as part of AMCN's D&I
advisory board and has worked with the Video Advertising Bureau
on its multicultural advertising and marketplace initiative. It
may not be possible for economic, social, cultural and racial divide
to completely disappear, but fostering open and honest and
communication is a start. " Connect with everyone on a personal
and emotional level, " Song says. " I believe this will allow people
to feel comfortable sharing their stories and having an open and
honest communication. "
Magesh Srinivasan
EVP, Network Operations
Charter Communications
Since his 2020 promotion to EVP of
network operations, Srinivasan has focused
his attention on improving both
operational excellence and experience by creating a culture built
around a customer-centric approach. His operational discipline
helps ensure network operations and principles work together to
enhance the customer experience, and his efforts have dramatically
improved Charter's key performance metrics. Communicating
with colleagues is as important as engaging with customers,
which is why Srinivasan appreciates Charter's employee
resource groups. " Each of these groups has unique diversity
and inclusion focus. I consider one of the best initiatives to be
the Charter Diversity and Inclusion Talks. These talks showcase
our commitment to DEI through diverse speakers sharing their
journey and providing perspectives that I believe promotes more
openness in discussing related challenges. "
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