Cablefax The Magazine - September 2012 - 6

The Leaders
1. Cesar Conde
President, Univision Networks, Univision Communications Inc.
As the Latino population in the United States continues to swell toward a projected
30% of the demographic in 2050, it's good to be Cesar Conde. As president of
the media behemoth whose cable and broadcast networks serve the lion's share
of Spanish-speaking TV viewers, Conde has his inger on the pulse of Hispanic
Americans and his mind constantly channeled to the future. For him, diversity has
always been important to cable's bottom line because " of what we at Univision call
The New American Reality. Today we are a multicultural nation, and to effectively
meet the demands of our consumers, we need to be relective and understand the
consumer base we serve. " Indeed, after conquering the U.S. Spanish-speaking
population, Conde is embarking on his biggest gamble yet-the launch of an
English-language news network in conjunction with ABC News. A conident strategist
who checks his ego at the door, Conde cites his parents as inluential mentors
who provided him with this sage advice as a child: " Dream big. Work hard. Stay humble. " As he calculates Univision's next
giant step, we applaud this industry leader for making his parents proud.
2. Debra Lee
Chairman/CEO, BET Networks
The BET brand has undergone a spirited revival in recent years, thanks in large part
to the creative vision of Lee. Aside from overseeing the signature network, she has
the last word at sister entertainment net Centric, all of BET Nets' digital programming,
and home entertainment extensions. Lee's push into original programming
spawned hits including " Let's Stay Together, " " The Mo'Nique Show, " and " Sunday
Best, " and this year brings a fresh slate of opportunity for audience growth with
scripted series " Second Generation Wayans " and " House Husbands, " late-night
series, reality, movies and even a new talent competition, Centric's " Apollo Live. "
To boot, BET Digital is unveiling two new Web series, and Lee is raising the bar
on the company's awards shows as well, with a re-imagined BET Awards in 2013,
and expanded Soul Train Awards on Centric. " As BET becomes more involved in
the original programming arena, I'm looking forward to learning about production
and providing the shows our audience wants, " Lee says. " I'm looking forward to doing the research on our viewers' wants
and needs for our audience, which is actually a really diverse group. Doing that work in the original scripted programming
[arena] will help increase the probability of success for all of our programs. "
3. Marwan Fawaz
EVP, Motorola Mobility
Replacing outgoing Motorola Mobility president Dan Moloney is no easy task,
especially when the company is now owned by Internet giant Google. But 26-year
broadband communications veteran Fawaz is clearly stepping up to the challenge.
Colleagues describe Fawaz as a skilled technology strategist with a irm grasp of
the industry's evolving dynamics. It's no wonder he consistently reminds himself of
advice given by cable pioneer Jim Chiddix years ago: Technology without a business
plan is a hobby. Says Fawaz, " I apply it in everything that I do. Technology is
cool, but it must deliver value and a proitable business. " Back in 2010, his efforts
at Charter Communications won him the prestigious NCTA Vanguard Award. Key to
Marwan's success will be his ability to capitalize on emerging trends with innovative
products like Televation, Motorola's new TV streaming service for tablets. " The
ability to deliver more targeted messages, products, and solutions to consumers is
highly intertwined with the ability of any business to understand those ever-dynamic needs and wants, " he says.
6
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