Cablefax The Magazine - October 2021 - 38

Syrinthia Studer
EVP
Nickelodeon &
Awesomeness Films
The secret to Studer's continued
success very well may be her ability
to connect with like-minded partners and creators who, like
her, are dedicated to bringing more inclusive representation to
storytelling that will provide younger, more impressionable viewers
with positive experiences. " I'm committed to broadening the
aperture in film by curating inclusive stories by women, BIPOC
and LGBTQ creatives, " she says. " Everyone deserves to be seen
and heard and our films should be reflective of the world we live
in. " Toward that end, she co-launched and co-chairs Nickelodeon
and Awesomeness' Inclusivity Council, which has a goal
of developing representative storytelling across the company's
creative departments and teams. Studer is also expanding the
studio's footprint beyond linear TV by bringing younger-skewing
films-like " The J Team, " " Fantasy Football, " and the first film
adaptation of " Hush Hush " - to the ViacomCBS-owned Paramount+
streaming service.
Aisha Thomas-Petit
Chief DEI Officer
AMC Networks
Thomas-Petit approaches DEI the
same way she trains for a half-marathon-she
doesn't focus so much
on the distance she has to go but rather sets a plan that helps
her conquer one milestone at a time. With that philosophy in
mind, she has established a clear vision for DEI at the company,
one that thinks, operate and creates using DEI as a necessary
lever for change. Among her projects this year was Staff Me Up,
a networking and hiring platform for production professionals
intended to highlight underrepresented groups in the industry,
including BIPOC, women, LGBTQ+, people with disabilities and
active military and veterans. " I think the progress [on DEI in the
industry] is noteworthy, " she says. " That's not to say that there
isn't still significant work for us to do, but we are definitely moving
in the right direction. "
Richard Tom
CTO
WarnerMedia
Throughout what was anything but
an ordinary year, Tom and his team
led the WarnerMedia Technology &
Operations organization to huge success, infusing his strategic,
positive and thoughtful approach to build and position WM as
38
CablefaxDiversity.com
a best-in-class technology company. While there has been a
groundswell of activity around DEI, he believes that the industry
as a whole still has a long way to go. " The reality is that we're
still too early in our journey to truly understand the impact that
has been made [in DEI]. I'd argue that we're so early in our
efforts that our success isn't guaranteed, " Tom says. " It's going
to require continued effort year after year to arm our industry
with the right tools, processes and programs to break down the
biases that will allow us to truly be equitable and inclusive. "
Janet Han Vissering
SVP, Program Development
& Production
National Geographic Partners
SharkFest lovers can lead a round
of applause for Vissering, who led
2021's development and production of Nat Geo's successful
annual TV event, expanding it to six weeks of planned programming
across four networks as well as Disney+ and Hulu. But
her impact has gone far, far beyond that. Through her work on
natural history programming, Vissering creates content with the
greater purpose of establishing awareness for important animal
issues. Additionally, she created Nat Geo's Field Ready Program
in 2020, composed of 10 filmmakers from across the globe who
have been paired into mentor-mentee relationships with leading
producers, directors and storytellers from across the national
history genre. " It's important that in every development and
production meeting we are moving the dial by presenting opportunities
to new production companies and talent, " she says. " It's
important for me to stop and ask if we've done our best. "
Teresa Ward-Maupin
SVP, Digital and
Customer Experience
Comcast Business
When the COVID-19 pandemic
changed everything about the
traditional customer experience, Ward-Maupin worked quickly
to revamp her organization's strategies so Comcast's customers
continued to feel supported. It was her ability to adapt
and think creatively that saw her tapped to lead the launch of
Comcast RISE, a program designed to support minority-owned
SMBs through the pandemic. Since November, approximately
2,500 entrepreneurs have been selected as recipients of the
program. Some 500 of those received $10,000 grants, and the
other 2,000 have received or will receive either a TV campaign,
production of a TV commercial, consulting services from Effectv,
or computer equipment, internet, voice or cybersecurity from
Comcast Business. She's also actively engaged in STEM youth
programs like Black Girls Code.
October 2021
Diversity List
http://www.CablefaxDiversity.com
Cablefax The Magazine - October 2021

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