Leadership & Staff

Our Staff

J. Max Robins

President & Executive Director

J. Max Robins is a veteran journalist, media analyst and producer with extensive editorial experience in a variety of sectors in the industry.  Before joining the Center for Communication in 2014, Max was the Vice President/Executive Director of the Paley Center for Media. Prior to this, Max was the editor-in-chief of “TV industry bible," Broadcasting & Cable. Before joining B&C,  Max was senior editor and columnist at TV Guide. Prior to TV Guide, he was TV editor and columnist at Variety.

Max’s work has appeared in myriad publications, including the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times and New York. He has commented on media-related issues for many major news outlets, including NBC, CBS, CNN, CNBC, Fox News, MSNBC and NPR. You can follow Max on Twitter at @jmaxrobins.

max@centerforcommunication.org

Erin Gromen

Director of Partnerships

Erin leads the Center's fundraising and partnership efforts. She brings 20 years of experience to the organization, having worked with such nonprofits as the David Lynch Foundation, Outward Bound USA, and The Paley Center for Media, where she secured several federal preservation grants for its media collection and established relationships with some of the nation’s largest foundations. Erin began her career as an editor at Texas Monthly magazine, and received her B.A. in journalism from New York University.

erin@centerforcommunication.org

Kate Stanley

Director of Programming

Kate Stanley is a seven year veteran of the Center and is a seasoned producing and programming professional. Kate plans media site visits and career panels as professional development for college students. Before joining the Center she worked as an Associate Producer for Full Frontal Fashion, Reservations Required (VOOM HD Networks), The Fabulous Life (Vh1) and Fashion Police (Style Network).

kate@centerforcommunication.org

Camila Brango

Director of Community

Camila Brango is the Center’s Director of Community, strategically leading and developing comprehensive marketing plans for their annual forums and summits. Camila also represents the Center as a spokesperson during all the events and is the producer and host of Cami's Camera, a YouTube series that shares stories of people changing their lives from negative to positive.

Camila also has a background in marketing, advertising, and real estate. She has worked for AOL, Johnson & Johnson, Ogilvy, and UX Prox to establish some of their brands and build their social media presence.

Her past work also includes coordinating the expansion of J&J's global partnership with Costco and directing the opening of Avenues Real Estate as their former Chief Operating Officer.

camila@centerforcommunication.org

Derick
Borbon

Cooper Leibner Fellow

Derick Borbon is a dedicated Communications major at Baruch College, bringing a wealth of experience in social media management, marketing, and video/photo editing. He is proficient in Adobe Suite, especially Photoshop and Premiere Pro, and has a proven track record of building and maintaining engaged social media communities.

In his previous role as a social media marketing intern, Derick was instrumental in boosting follower engagement and driving growth. His passion for storytelling shines through in his ability to craft compelling brand narratives across various media.

Currently, Derick serves as a Cooper-Leibner Fellow, where his interests in marketing and journalism converge. He plays a crucial role in shaping the Center's weekly newsletters, managing posts across all media platforms, and supporting event preparation and planning.

derick@centerforcommunication.org

Mariangelica
DeCastro

Cooper Leibner Fellow

Mariangelica DeCastro is a graduate of Seton Hall University, where she earned a degree in Visual and Sound Media, graduating with honors and Magna Cum Laude. With a robust background in TV/film media production, content creation, social media, and video/photo editing, she has gained hands-on experience through both student and freelance projects, including the creation of short films and videos.

Driven by a passion for inspiring others and fostering community, Mariangelica is committed to delivering innovative creative experiences. Her interest in the Center for Communication was sparked by her participation in the organization’s events throughout her college years and early career. She was drawn to their mission of connecting students, graduates, and early-career professionals with industry experts in media.

As a Cooper Leibner Fellow, Mariangelica plays a pivotal role in managing the Center's social media content and newsletter, while also supporting summit and panel events. Through this fellowship, she aims to make meaningful contributions to the Center's initiatives, develop new skills, and expand her media expertise across all facets of the field.

mariangelica@centerforcommunication.org

Board of Directors

Shane Peros,
Chairman

Google

  • Shane is a technology and media sales executive with over 20 years of experience. He currently serves as the Managing Director of Google's Global Broadcast Partner Business Solutions responsible for strategic Broadcast, Entertainment and Distributions Partners Globally.

    In his role, Shane leads complex cross-Google initiatives working with key executives across the company to bring partners multi-service solutions that solve for the challenges presented by the convergence of Linear and Digital platforms in the Global TV business.

    Prior to joining Google, Shane served as the Vice President of Americas Publisher Sales for DoubleClick. While at DoubleClick Shane held several leadership positions including Team leads for Analytics and Marketing Automation. Shane also held roles at International Data Corporation (IDC), Giga Information Group and @plan media solutions. Shane attended Northeastern University in Boston with a major in Business Administration.

David J. Barrett,
Chairman Emeritus

Hearst

  • David J. Barrett was previously the Chairman and CEO of Hearst Television and has been a trustee of the Hearst Family Trust, established under the will of William Randolph Hearst, and a director of the Hearst Foundations.

    Barrett joined Hearst in 1984 as general manager of the company’s Baltimore radio stations, later assuming general management responsibility for the Hearst Radio Group, and then for WBAL-TV in Baltimore.  He relocated to New York in 1991 as a vice president of the Hearst Corporation and deputy general manager of Broadcasting, with operating oversight for the company’s television and radio stations.  In 1997, Hearst Broadcasting merged with Argyle Television to form Hearst-Argyle Television, Inc., and Barrett was named executive vice president and chief operating officer of the new entity.  He was named president and chief executive officer in 2001.  Hearst-Argyle Television was publicly traded on the NYSE from 1998 until 2009, when it was taken private by Hearst Corporation and re-named Hearst Television. From 2012 to 2014, Barrett served as chairman and chief executive officer of Hearst Television Inc.

    Barrett previously served on the board of directors of the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), as well as its executive committee, and the National Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation (NABEF). He also served on the boards of the Federal Communications Commission’s Media Security and Reliability Council (MSRC II), the International Radio and Television Society (IRTS) Foundation, the Advertising Council, the Emma L. Bowen Foundation, and the Broadcasters Foundation of America.  He is a past chairman of the Board of Governors for the ABC Television Affiliates Association and the Television Operators Caucus.

    Barrett has been the recipient of numerous industry honors. In 2004 he was named Broadcasting & Cable magazine’s “Broadcaster of the Year.” He was the recipient of The Media Institute’s American Horizon Award in 2005 and was also inducted into The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Management (NATAS) Hall of Fame. In 2008 he was inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame, and in 2011 he received the First Amendment Leadership Award from the Radio Television Digital News Foundation (RTDNF). Barrett received the Broadcasters Foundation of America 2013 Golden Mike Award, and in 2014 The Library of American Broadcasting honored him as one of their “Giants of Broadcasting.”

Anthony Ambrosio

Rimetti Advisory Services

  • Anthony G. Ambrosio is a Strategic Advisor at Rimetti Advisory Services.  Prior to Rimetti Advisory Services, Anthony was the Senior Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) and Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) for CBS Corporation, reporting to the Chairman and CEO.

    In his capacity as Chief Administrative Officer, Ambrosio oversaw a variety of functional areas worldwide, including corporate Real Estate and Facilities, Strategic Sourcing, Security and other corporate services. In addition, he oversaw CBS Corporation's Corporate Social Responsibility and philanthropic initiatives, including CBS CARES. He also managed a division of the company, CBS EcoMedia, an award-winning unit of the company dedicated to creating public private partnerships that generate funding for leading non-profits and creating tangible positive outcomes in the communities CBS serves.

    In his role as Chief Human Resources Officer, Ambrosio oversaw all human resources policies for the company worldwide and led all aspects of talent management for the firm, including talent acquisition, performance management, leadership and employee development, succession management, and employee engagement. In addition to hiring, he was responsible for all employee-related HR programs, including compensation  and benefits and performance management.

    Ambrosio is a past Chairman of the board of the Emma Bowen Foundation for Minority Interests in Media, and is a past member of the Board of the American Benefits Council. Ambrosio earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Political Science from the University of Pittsburgh and a Masters of Business Administration from New York University Stern School of Business.

Marc Brodherson

McKinsey & Co.

  • Marc has spent the last 10 years helping consumer and B2B media and information companies transform their business models and operations through digital technologies and advanced analytics. With extensive knowledge of advertising and marketing technologies and data science, he helps leading video, audio, and editorial content owners, distributors, and intermediaries strengthen their existing advertising-supported models and create entirely new businesses. Outside the media and advertising ecosystem, Marc also works with other B2B information-services and technology companies, investors, and end users—particularly in legal, regulatory, and financial services—to bring software-based innovation in artificial intelligence, automation, and experience redesign to professional services.

    Prior to working for McKinsey, Marc worked in the first wave of digital media production and distribution as a creative executive for Emerging Pictures and for 4th Row Films, producing independent feature films, documentaries, and video advertising. He also completed an externship with the Honorable John G. Koeltl, the US District Court Judge for the Southern District of New York.

    Marc currently serves on the boards of the Center for Communications and of Nielsen Social, a joint venture between McKinsey and Nielsen focused on creating the first standardized media-ratings metrics based on social media.

Forest Evashevski

The Wall Street Journal

  • Forest Evashevski is a senior-level creative and design director with nearly 20 years of industry-leading experience. He is well-versed in multi-platform storytelling, visual systems, and content creation.

    Currently Forest is at Dow Jones as Director of Experience Design for The Wall Street Journal. There he collaborates with product, technology, marketing, data, insights, and advertising teams to produce best-in-class UX across all digital platforms and apps while meeting business objectives simultaneously. In this role he leads and mentors a team of experience designers.

    Previously Forest was a design leader for key WSJ newsroom verticals and initiatives. From 2016 until 2022 he was the creative lead for coverage of fashion, travel, design, gear, and food under the Off Duty brand. In 2012 he was the creative lead for the development and launch of Mansion, WSJ’s nameplate for luxury residential real estate coverage. In 2011 he refreshed Money & Investing and in 2010 he held an integral role in the launch of Greater New York.

    Prior to Dow Jones, Forest was an art director and later a design director at Broadcasting & Cable, a magazine dedicated to the business of television. He started his career as an art intern at POZ Magazine, serving the those affected by HIV/AIDS.

    Forest is a graduate of the University of Iowa with a BA in Studio Art and a minor in Business.

Rita Ferro

Walt Disney Company

  • As President of Advertising Sales for Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution (DMED), Rita Ferro leads advertising sales for The Walt Disney Company's entertainment, news, sports and kids linear and digital TV ad-supported streaming businesses: ABC Entertainment, ABC Daytime and ABC News; Disney Channels Worldwide; ESPN Networks and ESPN+; Freeform; FX Networks; Hulu; and National Geographic Networks. She also leads the integrated sales team for Disney Digital, the Company’s online, mobile and social offerings. Additionally, Ferro directs National TV and Regional Ad Sales for ABC’s eight owned local TV stations. She has been in this role since September 2018.

    Under her leadership, Disney offers advertisers a one-stop approach to leverage the breadth of Disney’s portfolio and reach audiences across all of the Company’s media properties. Her direction has transformed Disney’s advertising strategy and influenced the industry at large – resulting in a consultative and insights-led sales approach that allows clients to drive maximum growth in their businesses. Across Disney’s robust portfolio of platforms, she champions advanced advertising and data science to push the boundaries of outcomes that marketers and advertisers can achieve in their campaigns.

    Among her many industry honors, Ferro made history as the first Latinx woman, and third woman in 35 years, to receive the prestigious Frank Stanton Award for Excellence in Communication. In 2018, she was named to Variety’s Power of Women New York Impact list, honoring women across all aspects of the entertainment industry who are making an impact. In 2017, she was recognized by The Hollywood Reporter’s Women in Entertainment Power 100, in addition to being featured on Advertising Age’s Women to Watch Power List, which celebrates the most powerful women in advertising. In 2015, Ferro was selected as part of Multichannel News’ Wonder Women – “Women to Watch,” and for eight consecutive years (2012-19), Ferro has been named one of the Most Powerful and Influential Latinos by the Imagen Foundation and was inducted into its Hall of Fame in 2019, honoring individuals in the entertainment industry who have dedicated themselves to excelling in their profession.

    Ferro began her career with The Walt Disney Company 22 years ago with ESPN International, where she held several posts including vice president, International Ad Sales, leading the ESPN International Ad Sales offices in Miami, Argentina, Mexico and Brazil. She ultimately added ad sales management for Disney Media Network’s kid-driven and family-inclusive portfolio – Disney Channel, Disney XD and then-named Playhouse Disney – in Latin America. Additionally, she has held the positions of executive vice president, Disney Media Sales and Marketing for Disney Channels Worldwide and vice president, Advertising Sales, Disneymedia+.

    In an industry historically dominated by men, Ferro is at the top of her profession and continues to be a disruptor and pioneer in the advertising space. In addition to her professional successes, her commitment to mentorship is paving the way for other women – especially Latinx women – to advance in the field.

    In addition to Center for Communication, Ferro currently sits on the board of VICE, MMA (Mobile Marketing Association), the Ad Council, IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau), AAF (American Advertising Federation) and VAB (Video Advertising Bureau). She earned a Bachelor of Science in advertising and a master’s degree in International Business from Florida International University, and currently lives in Livingston, NJ with her husband and daughter.

Marianne Gambelli

  • Marianne Gambelli served as President of Advertising Sales, Marketing and Brand Partnerships for Fox Corporation. In this previous role, she oversaw Ad Sales efforts across the company’s portfolio of brands and platforms, including FOX Entertainment, FOX Sports, FS1, FS2, FOX Deportes, FOX News Media, which includes FOX News Channel and FOX Business Network, Tubi and TMZ.

    Recognized as a creative leader and trailblazer within the media and advertising industry, Ms. Gambelli has a successful history of furthering innovation and driving change in the ad marketplace. Throughout her tenure at FOX, the Ad Sales teams continue to provide advertisers new and compelling ways to reach and connect with audiences. Additionally, she’s emphasized the necessity to improve the overall ad experience for both consumers and marketers, which has led to the development, evolution and rollout of enhanced emerging media strategies, audience-based ad capabilities, the division’s brand studios for content development, cloud-based platforms and other groundbreaking next-gen resources. Under her leadership, FOX achieved unprecedented revenue during the 2022-23 Upfront, and the FOX Sports Ad Sales team delivered record-breaking revenue for Super Bowls LIV (2020) and LVII (2023).

    Throughout her career, Ms. Gambelli has developed and supported initiatives that mentor the next generation of leaders and drive meaningful change within the industry. In 2020, she launched the FOX Ad Sales Diversity and Inclusion Council with the mission to further build and enhance the culture of inclusivity within FOX Ad Sales by focusing on recruitment, education, development and retention.

    Before assuming her current role across the FOX Ad Sales portfolio in March 2019, Ms. Gambelli served as President of Advertising Sales for FOX News Media since May 2017. During her tenure, FOX News Media experienced record years in advertising sales. Prior to FOX, Ms. Gambelli served as Chief Investment Officer at Horizon Media, where she managed its $7 billion investment portfolio and a team of over 350 investment specialists to actively develop key new business acquisitions across top tier brands.

    Ms. Gambelli joined Horizon following a successful 22-year career at NBC Universal, where she held a variety of ascending leadership roles, culminating with the position of President of Sales and Marketing. Ms. Gambelli oversaw partnerships and strategy across NBC’s News, Sports and Entertainment brands, optimizing its $7 billion in media investments. Additionally, she was a member of GE’s Women’s Network, a Division NBCUniversal Leader and a Leader in the company’s Commercial Leadership Program. Ms. Gambelli began her career on the agency side at Grey Advertising and Backer Spielvogel Bates.

    Ms. Gambelli has been lauded with numerous professional awards during her distinguished career. Most recently, she was honored by the International Radio and Television Society (IRTS) Hall of Mentorship. She also has been named to the Adweek 50 list, recognized with the Multichannel News Wonder Women Award and cited by Advertising Age as one of the 100 Most Influential Women in Advertising, among others.

    Ms. Gambelli graduated from Pace University with a Bachelor of Business degree in marketing. In 2016, she was awarded an Honorary Degree from Pace Pleasantville Chapter of Beta Gamma Sigma. Currently, she serves as Chairman of the IRTS Foundation.

Jennifer Koester

Sphere

  • As President and Chief Operating Officer, Jennifer Koester leads the strategy and execution of all business aspects and operations of Sphere, a next-generation entertainment medium that is redefining the future of live entertainment. The first Sphere venue opened in Las Vegas in September 2023.  

    In this role, Ms. Koester works together with executive leadership, and across the broader Sphere team, to grow the Sphere businesses and optimize its operations. She provides strategic oversight for Sphere Studios – the immersive content studio in Burbank dedicated to developing multi-sensory experiences exclusively for Sphere – including further developing the Studios’ capabilities as a full-service production studio. Ms. Koester also focuses on maximizing venue utilization across a range of categories, such as original programming, attractions, concerts, residencies, and corporate and marquee events; driving strategic partnerships; delivering the best customer experience; and growing Sphere as a premium global brand.

    Ms. Koester is a leader with 30 years of experience in technology, media, and entertainment, across functional areas including business development, marketing, technology, legal, and product management. Throughout her career she has leveraged her diverse expertise with a unique ability to integrate legal, technical, business, and operational matters. Ms. Koester joined Sphere Entertainment in 2024 as President, Sphere Business Operations, from Google, where she served as Managing Director, Americas Strategic Alliances, Global Partnerships. In this role, she was responsible for leading the overall relationship with Google’s most strategic partners to drive greater incremental value across Google’s products and services. She also previously served as Director, Telecommunications and Video Distributors, Global Partnerships at Google, where she was a key contributor to product strategy and roadmaps that delivered new revenue opportunities, including development and monetization of advertising product lines. Her experience prior to Google includes serving as Senior Vice President of Advanced Advertising Product Development, Data Analytics and Ad Operations at Cablevision, as well as various legal positions.  

    Ms. Koester received a J.D. from St. John’s University School of Law and a B.S. in Management Information Systems from Binghamton University.   

Raeshem Nijhon

Culture House

  • Raeshem is a CLIO-, Shorty- and Webby-award-winning Producer/Director. As Founder and Executive Producer of Culture.House, she manages strategic partnerships and oversees end-to-end production across platforms. Select current projects include a doc-series about race and gender in America for Netflix , Girly, a doc-series developed with Refinery29 and actor/activist Rashida Jones and feature documentary, The Agreement, in partnership with the United Nations Foundation.

    Prior to Culture.House she held multiple creative leadership positions including Executive Producer of Viacom’s MTV World where she led nonfiction series such as Rebel Music, about young people using art for change in conflict zones, and The Music Experiment, featuring bands like Of Monsters and Men, Arcade Fire and Santigold. 

    Raeshem is a passionate advocate for women and girls, committed to educating women about sexual health and safety through a partnership with the NYU Department of Population Health. Raeshem sits on the Creative Council for EMILY'S List, the board for the New York Center for Communications and serves as a United Nations Global Accelerator Delegate.

Katherine Oliver

Bloomberg Associates

  • Katherine Oliver is currently a Principal at Bloomberg Associates, a philanthropic consultancy firm founded by Michael Bloomberg to provide advice and long-term solutions to cities worldwide. She served as Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment in New York City from 2002-2013.

    During that time, New York’s film and television industry saw its strongest growth in history. Strategic initiatives such as the Made in NY marketing and branding program generated direct spending of $7.1 billion annually, an increase of more than 50%, and saw jobs climb to an all-time high of 130,000. Under Oliver, the City instituted the first and only municipal-based tax credit in the film industry, initiated a program to train minorities for work in film and TV production, appointed the City’s Chief Digital Officer, the first of its kind, and delivered a roadmap to establish New York City as the world’s top-ranked digital city. By the end of the Bloomberg Administration 300 feature films and over 100 TV shows were being shot each year in New York, and more than a quarter million people were employed in the tech industry.

    Prior to the Bloomberg Administration, Oliver was the General Manager of Bloomberg Radio & Television, where she launched and built the company’s global media operations.

Amilcar Perez

Nielsen Global Audience Measurement

  • Amilcar Perez is the Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) for Nielsen Audience Measurement, where he leads a global team responsible for customer retention, customer growth, new customer acquisition, revenue operations and customer success acquisition. He was appointed to this role in January, 2023.

    Amilcar has more than 25 years of global leadership experience working at Nielsen in various roles, including in Argentina and with teams across US, Latin America, China, India, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Europe. Most recently, he was Executive Vice President of Sales and CRO for National Media Clients where he led a U.S. team responsible for customer retention, customer growth and new customer acquisition.

    Previously, he was Global CRO of Nielsen’s Gracenote and Sports/Esports, Music and Customer Experience, where he led global commercial and revenue strategy across all business units. Amilcar has also worked in tech/telecom, mobile product leadership, sales and marketing and client and retailer relationships.

    Amilcar serves as executive sponsor of the Nielsen Hispanic Organization of Leaders in Action (HOLA) employee business resource group.

    He holds a postgraduate degree in Telecom Business from the Universidad de San Andres, an MBA from Escuela Superior de Economia y Administracion de Empresas (ESEADE) and a Bachelor degree from the University of Buenos Aires. He resides in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Richard Sarnoff

KKR

  • Richard Sarnoff is Partner and Chairman of Media, Entertainment, and Education, Americas for KKR’s Private Equity platform in the Americas. Prior to this position, Sarnoff served as a Senior Adviser to KKR, working closely with both investment teams and portfolio companies.

    Until 2011, Sarnoff was Co-Chairman of Bertelsmann, Inc., and President of Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments (BDMI.) A longstanding senior executive at Bertelsmann, Sarnoff served as CFO and EVP of Random House beginning in 1998 and became the first US executive to serve on the Supervisory Board of Bertelsmann AG in 2002. Starting in 2006, he established and ran its corporate digital media investing arm, BDMI, and concurrently served as Chairman of the Association of American Publishers. He was named the publishing industry’s Person of the Year by Publishers Weekly magazine in 2009.

    Sarnoff graduated summa cum laude, from Princeton University in 1981 with a BA in Art and Archaeology, and earned an MBA from Harvard University in 1987. He serves on the Board of Directors of Activision Blizzard, Weld North, Cengage, and Chegg; and of not-for-profit organizations including the Bronx Lab School, Princeton University’s Center for Information Technology Policy and New Classrooms/School of One.

Savalle Sims

Warner Bros. Discovery

  • Savalle Sims serves as Chief Legal Officer for Warner Bros. Discovery, overseeing the company’s global legal teams and managing all legal issues across nearly 20 offices worldwide.

    Most recently, Sims sat at the helm of deal planning for Discovery Inc.’s largest acquisition to date and navigated all legal matters surrounding AT&T’s sale of WarnerMedia assets to form the new company, Warner Bros. Discovery.

    In her previous role as EVP, Deputy General Counsel, Sims managed Discovery’s Litigation and Trademark legal teams, handling legal efforts around Discovery’s intellectual property, including trademark, patent and copyright portfolios. She joined Discovery in 2011 as SVP, Litigation and Intellectual Property.

    Among her many industry achievements, Sims was recognized in 2023 as one of Hollywood’s Top Dealmakers by The Hollywood Reporter and named one of Variety’s Best In-House Entertainment Attorneys. She has also appeared on Variety’s Dealmakers Impact Report and is regularly honored on the Cablefax 100 and Cablefax’s Most Powerful Women and Diversity lists. In addition, Sims was named to the National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications’ Luminary Class and was featured in the Black General Counsel Project as part of Bloomberg Law.

    Sims is a graduate of Syracuse University and Notre Dame Law School.

Tim Sims

The Trade Desk

  • As Chief Commercial Officer of The Trade Desk, Sims drives the company’s revenue generation and new client acquisition globally. Sims manages The Trade Desk’s global business development organization as well as the inventory partnerships team to continue the company’s rapid growth, particularly in the area of connected TV (CTV). Sims has more than 20 years’ experience in the advertising industry, six of those with The Trade Desk.

    Prior to his appointment as CRO, Sims served as Senior Vice President of Inventory Partnerships at The Trade Desk. In that role, Sims drove the company's strategy and execution in creating cutting-edge supply-side collaborations with partners around the world and across multiple channels including video, audio, mobile, native and display. Sims spearheaded The Trade Desk’s growth in emerging channels like CTV and Audio, with CTV spend on The Trade Desk’s platform increasing 137% percent year-over-year from 2018 to 2019 and audio spend on the platform up 185% from 2018 to 2019. Sims has been influential in driving The Trade Desk’s continued global growth, with first-to-market integrations with many premium publishers in the past year, including Amazon Publisher Services, Disney Advertising Sales, NBCUniversal, SlingTV, Freewheel, Spotify, and TubiTV in the U.S., TikTok and AbemaTV in the Asia Pacific region, and RakutenTV and TFI in Europe.

    Additionally, Sims leads the company’s industry-shaping publisher management platform, where advertisers can transact with publishers to buy premium inventory through programmatic channels.

    A recognized industry leader, Sims was named one of the 23 insiders shaping the future of TV advertising by Business Insider and he has been quoted and published in a variety of media, including Adweek, Variety, ZDNet, MediaPost and eMarketer’s ‘Behind the Numbers’ podcast. He is a frequent speaker at industry events including Cannes Lions, DMEXCO, AdvertisingWeek, IAB’s Programmatic Symposium, and Modern Marketing Summit as well as many partner events.

    Sims serves on the Board of Directors for the Ad Council, an American nonprofit organization that produces, distributes, and promotes public service announcements.

    Sims is an advertising technology veteran, having previously served as Director of Business Development at OpenX, and Director of Media at Spot Runner.

    Sims is a graduate of Vanderbilt University and lives and works in New York City.

Hilary Smith

Comcast NBCUniversal

  • Hilary Smith is the Executive Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility for Comcast NBCUniversal. She is responsible for leading Comcast NBCUniversal’s global social impact strategy, philanthropic investments, and employee volunteer programs. In this capacity, she also works closely with business leaders throughout the company on important CSR initiatives in each division. Additionally, Smith oversees NBCUniversal’s award-winning public service announcement campaign, The More You Know.

    Prior to leading Corporate Social Responsibility, Hilary was the Executive Vice President of Corporate Communications overseeing NBCUniversal’s corporate media relations strategy and serving as a principal corporate spokesperson for the company. She supported all NBCUniversal corporate functions, provided strategic communications counsel to businesses across the portfolio, led employee communications and oversaw the corporate creative agency. 

    Previously, Smith was Senior Vice President of Communications for USA Network, where she led publicity for the network’s award-winning programming. She also served as the lead spokesperson for the network, managed talent relations, spearheaded awards campaigns and oversaw the press launches of several breakout series - including USA’s award-winning hit, “Mr. Robot.”

    Before joining USA, Smith oversaw communications for the NBCUniversal’s digital businesses including Fandango, iVillage and DailyCandy. She worked in NBCUniversal’s advertising sales division, leading consumer and trade marketing for company-wide initiatives such as “Women@NBCU” and “Green is Universal,” which provided themed sponsorships to ad sales partners across the entire portfolio of NBCUniversal brands.

    Earlier in her career, as Vice President of Media Relations in Corporate Communications, Smith was instrumental in managing the press for several of NBC’s major business transactions, including the NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment merger, as well as the acquisitions of the television networks Telemundo and Bravo. 

    Smith joined NBC in its news division as Senior Manager of Public Relations for the award-winning network news magazine “Dateline NBC” and served as the lead publicist for its anchors Jane Pauley and Stone Phillips. Before joining NBCUniversal, Smith was a Press Manager at CBS News, where she oversaw publicity for the news magazine “48 Hours” as well as “CBS News Sunday Morning”.

    Before her career in television, Smith worked at Citibank Securities Inc., where she completed the bank’s Management Associate training program and subsequently served as a Manager of Public Relations for the investment banking division.

    Smith is a director on the board of the Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation. She is also a member of the national board of Step Up, a non-profit organization which helps under-served teen girls become college-bound and career-focused, as well as a member of the board of The Center for Communications, a non-profit dedicated to bringing diversity to the media industry. Additionally, she serves on the advisory board for the USC Annenberg School Center for Public Relations. She graduated from Middlebury College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and resides in Manhattan.

Radha
Subramanyam

CBS Corporation

  • Radha Subramanyam serves as President and Chief Research and Analytics Officer for CBS Corporation. She joined the Company as Executive Vice President, Chief Research and Analytics Officer of the CBS Television Network in November 2017, and was promoted to her current role after 18 months. Subramanyam oversees all research and analytics operations for CBS, including audience measurement, analytics, market research, program testing, and advertising research. She has extensive strategic and operational experience in all areas of the industry, including broadcast, cable, and digital, as well as radio, music, and social media.

    Most recently, Subramanyam served as President of Research, Insights and Data Analytics for iHeartMedia, where she developed and managed wide-ranging of efforts involving digital analytics, ratings and measurement, ad sales research, mobile measurement, programming analysis, music research, campaign measurement and marketing research.

    Prior to joining iHeartMedia, Subramanyam held senior executive research roles at Yahoo!, MTV Networks, and Nielsen, where she was one of that company’s early leaders of new analytics and consulting practice. Radha is also a certified Six Sigma “Black Belt” who has overseen and trained teams on process excellence. Before beginning her career in the media industry, she taught media and entertainment at Vassar College and New York University.

    Subramanyam serves on the board of directors of the International Radio & Television Society and the Advertising Research Foundation. She was named as one of Corinium’s Top 100 Innovators in Data and Analytics in 2018, a list highlighting business leaders, technologists and influencers who have accelerated the proliferation and understanding of data and analytics over the last 12 months. Subramanyam was also one of the power women in Variety’s 2019 Women’s Impact Report.

    Subramanyam is a graduate of Northwestern University, with a Ph.D. in radio, television and film.