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Kathleen Preston
VP & General Manager
Optimum West Pacific
CHAMPION
Despite oversight of a large, diverse geographical area
encompassing West Texas, Arizona, Nevada and California,
Preston is still able to bring a hyperlocal focus to
everything she does. That's included a recent network
upgrade in Sedona, Arizona, and improving retail stores
and sponsorship of a local softball tournament in Bullhead
City, Arizona. She's also passionate about uniting her team, which she
leads with the chant, " WE are West Pac. " " I spend a lot of time traveling to all the
markets and make it a priority to always meet with employees and customers
to learn what makes a market special. Taking the time to listen to the challenges
the community might be facing, the local initiatives that our employees are
passionate about and then partnering with my peers on solutions to make an
impact is what motivates me daily, " Preston says. " Being able to bring together
an entire community and our local employees to champion a cause and make a
difference in the towns they live in is purposeful and as my grandfather told me
when I didn't know what I wanted to do after college, 'if you live with purpose,
you will live a great life.' " Sean O'Connell, Optimum's SVP and Regional General
Manager, joined the company around the same time as Preston. He recognized
her immediately as a great leader. " There is an immense amount of trust and engagement
between Kathleen and her team. This trust has translated into positive
results both for the company and employee morale, " he says. " Under Kathleen's
leadership, her team consistently leads many company initiatives and brings new
ideas/solutions to accelerate our business. "
Sean O'Connell
" Kathleen achieves whatever
she sets her mind to. She
is a great leader and role
model and can grow into
any role that fits her career
ambitions. Her passion for
success and people with
the right values sets her up
for growth and will continue
for many years to come. "
Eshena Roman
Senior Director, Multicultural Marketing
aspireTV
Whether it's launching tentpole campaigns for Black Women's History Month or developing
messaging around original content, Roman's passion for multicultural audiences
is unmistakable. She supported the launch of aspireTV's series " Cut to It " through the
network's partnership with Spectrum, offering free haircuts to community members in
the Georgia town of Villa Rica. For the premiere of " Style Kings, " she cultivated a night
celebrating Black artistry at a Black-owned gallery, hired only Black-owned vendors and
served Black-owned spirits from the Pronghorn portfolio. When it comes to creating a
campaign that has meaningful community impact, Roman starts by focusing on people. " Communities aren't just
target consumers. They're individuals with needs, families, hopes and dreams. Go beyond purchase behavior to understand
who they truly are, " she advises. " Next, get real about the brand's current relationship with the community.
Is this our first time engaging them? Has previous outreach been just transactional or significant? Are our company
values already supporting and celebrating this community? To create a campaign with meaningful impact, a brand
must not only offer a product solution, but also honor the lived experience of the consumers they are targeting. " Angela
Cannon, AspireTV GM and UP Entertainment's SVP of Multicultural Networks, sees Roman as someone with a
remarkable ability to lead with insight and genuine empathy. And she walks the talk, serving as a member of Atlanta's
District 12 Arts and Culture Task Force and a board member for the Center for Black Women's Wellness. " Eshena
combines a deep understanding of the market with a keen sense of what's needed to bring out the best in every project
and every person involved, " says Cannon. " Her intuition and foresight allow her to ask the right questions, guide
the team with clarity and drive exceptional outcomes across departments. "
52
December 2024
CablefaxWomen.com

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