Executive Committee
Michelle L. Rice
Chair

Chair
Michelle L. Rice
President, TV One & CLEO TV
Michelle L. Rice was named President of TV One and CLEO TV in October 2020. Previously, Rice served as General Manager since 2017. She will continue to have oversight of all business, operational and creative aspects for both networks.
Rice shepherded the development and launch of TV One’s new sister network, CLEO TV, an aspirational lifestyle and entertainment TV network serving Millennial and Gen X women of color that launched in January 2019. Since its launch, Rice has successfully leveraged relationships to expand distribution of CLEO TV on AT&T, Charter, Comcast, and Verizon’s platforms. Under her leadership, TV One solidified its first vMVPD distribution deal with Philo TV and has continued to grow its distribution footprint. She has also played a pivotal role in working with strategic partners like the NAACP to create linear and digital content campaigns in response to a myriad of political and social issues that profoundly impact communities of color.
She was previously Executive Vice President of Content Distribution and Marketing for TV One, where she developed distribution strategies and handled national accounts negotiations with major multichannel video programming distributors (MPVDs) to increase and maximize TV One’s content distribution opportunities on mobile, linear and non-linear distribution platforms. She also handled domestic and international program sales and distribution for the network.
Before joining TV One, Rice also had stints at iNDemand, NBC Cable Network and Black Entertainment Television (BET), where she started her career through the Walter Kaitz Fellowship program in 1993.
A graduate of Temple University and the University of Southern California, Rice was honored by her alma mater with the Lew Klein Alumni in Media Award. She was named one of on CableFAX’s Top 100 in Cable, Top Minorities in Cable and Top Women in Cable. She’s also been recognized as a NAMIC Emerging Leader, Broadcasting & Cable’s “Next Wave of Leaders,” “40 under 40” by Multichannel News, and one of Multichannel News’ Wonder Women. Rice was also a finalist in CableFAX’s Sales Executive of the Year Awards in 2012 and led the team, which was awarded CableFAX’s Sales Team of the Year for mid-sized cable networks. Rice has been featured in publications such as “Black Enterprise,” “Variety,” “Deadline,” “TV Week” and “The Root.” She was highlighted as a trailblazer in “CableFAX’s” Black History Month Special Report. In 2020 Rice was recognized by the Washington Business Journal’s with the Minority Business Leadership Award.
Rice is also actively involved on the Boards of several local civic, community and charitable organizations, including Jack and Jill of America, Girls Inc. D.C, and United Way of the Nation’s Capital. She currently resides in Maryland with her family.
Leigh Woisard
Immediate Past Chair

Immediate Past Chair
Leigh Woisard
Leigh Woisard is a 30-year communications professional, consultant and public speaker. Before leaving corporate America (Dec 2022), she was Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications for Cox Communications — the largest privately held broadband company in the U.S. Throughout her public relations career, she has counseled government officials, executives, and companies such as Stanley Tools, Chili’s Grill & Bar, and the New England Journal of Medicine.
Leigh has a passion for helping women and other professionals to be intentional about their careers and about communicating their value. She regularly speaks on topics such as “imposture syndrome,” becoming a better public speaker and self-promotion without selling out.
She was named a 2019 Wonder Woman by Multichannel News and is a Public Relations Society of America Silver Anvil Winner, the most prestigious PR industry award.
She has a bachelor’s degree in speech communications from the University of Rhode Island and a master’s in communications management from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School.
Justin Connolly
Treasurer

Treasurer
Justin Connolly
President, Disney Platform Distribution, The Walt Disney Company
As President of Platform Distribution for The Walt Disney Company, Justin Connolly oversees all third-party media sales efforts for distribution, affiliate-related business operations for all of the Company’s direct-to-consumer services and linear media networks, and content sales agreements for Disney Entertainment and ESPN.
Connolly and his team also work to maximize Disney’s opportunities in media markets by managing all aspects of North American distribution, and affiliate-related business operations for all the services provided by Disney and ESPN media networks including, among other services: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, ESPNU, SEC Network, ACC Network, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, Freeform, FX, FXX, FXM, National Geographic and Nat Geo Wild, and related WATCH, HDTV, video-on-demand, the ABC Affiliate Sales team, and interactive television and retransmission consent agreements for The Walt Disney Company’s eight-owned ABC stations.
To ensure alignment between Disney’s content licensing and direct-to-consumer priorities, Connolly has final approval on all content sales agreements. He works closely with International Content sales teams to drive results and ensure effective execution of the Company’s media distribution strategies around the world for Disney, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, 20th Century Studios, Searchlight Pictures, Disneynature, ABC Studios, ABC Entertainment, National Geographic, FX Productions, WABC, Freeform, Disney Channel, Disney XD and Disney Junior.
He spearheads global app distribution deals for The Walt Disney Company’s direct-to-consumer streaming services – including Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+. Connolly is also responsible for the distribution of film and television programming via home entertainment, broadcasting platforms, digital platforms, SVOD and pay networks.
Connolly came from Media Networks where he was Executive Vice President, Affiliate Sales and Marketing, Disney and ESPN Media Networks – overseeing all aspects of domestic distribution, affiliate marketing and affiliate-related business operations for all the services provided by Disney and ESPN media networks. In June 2017, he added oversight of ESPN’s strategy and business development teams to his portfolio.
Previously, Connolly served as Senior Vice President, College Networks, and was responsible for setting the strategic direction, overseeing content acquisition and scheduling, and working collaboratively with all ESPN business units to maximize distribution, viewership and revenue opportunities for Longhorn Network and SEC Network. Under his direction, SEC Network was the most successful network launch in cable history. Before working with the college networks, Connolly served as Senior Vice President, National Accounts for Disney & ESPN Media Networks. He was responsible for all domestic distribution and licensing efforts for The Walt Disney Company’s linear networks, broadband and VOD content within the Media Networks Group.
He joined ESPN in 2003 and served in various capacities including Director, ESPN Strategy and Operations where he helped ESPN with its long-term affiliate negotiations. In August 2004 he was promoted to Vice President, Distribution Strategy.
Prior to joining ESPN, Connolly worked in the corporate finance group for The Walt Disney Company’s corporate treasury department in Burbank, Calif.
Connolly, a Boston native and Sports Business Journal 40 Under 40 Hall of Fame inductee, graduated from Harvard University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics in 1998 and earned an MBA from Harvard Business School in 2003.
Crystal Barnes
Industry Relations Committee Chair

Industry Relations Committee Chair
Crystal Barnes
EVP, Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Strategy
Paramount
Crystal Barnes is responsible for the social responsibility program including employee engagement, global giving and cross-portfolio campaigns and partnerships. Her work spans the areas of philanthropy, volunteering, cause marketing, disaster relief and pro bono investments. Barnes also leads the company’s ESG efforts inclusive of external reporting and assessments and is responsible for driving culture initiatives across the organization.
Prior to joining Paramount (formerly ViacomCBS), Barnes served as Senior Vice President of Global Responsibility and Sustainability at Nielsen, and Executive Director of the Nielsen Foundation. She held positions leading the Industry Relations team, focusing on developing strategic alliances with industry, trade and business associations, and worked on the communications and public affairs team where she initiated and managed Nielsen’s partnerships with civic, social service and business organizations. With diversity, equity and inclusion as pillars in her career, Barnes also worked closely with Nielsen’s African American Advisory Council to drive diversity efforts across the company.
A native of Pennsylvania, Barnes received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Broadcast Telecommunications and Mass Media from Temple University. She serves on the board of Citizen Schools and Get Schooled and resides in New Jersey with her husband and 3 children.
Catherine Bohigian
Development Committee Chair

Development Committee Chair
Catherine Bohigian
EVP, Government Affairs, Charter Communications
Catherine Bohigian is the Executive Vice President, Government Affairs, for Charter Communications, where she is responsible for developing the company’s public policy positions and directing its legislative and regulatory strategies in Washington, DC and in the 41 states Charter serves.
Brought on in 2013 to launch and build Charter’s Government Affairs operation, Catherine led the company’s successful effort to obtain regulatory and antitrust approval of its transactions with Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks, which tripled the company’s size. Charter today has more than 32 million customers for its broadband, video, phone and mobile services marketed under the Spectrum brand.
Catherine previously served as Senior Vice President, Federal Affairs, at Cablevision Systems Corporation (currently part of Altice USA), in several senior capacities at the Federal Communications Commission, including Chief of the Office of Strategic Planning and Policy Analysis and Senior Advisor to the Chairman, and as an attorney at Wiley Rein. She is a graduate of Duke University and Harvard Law School.
Catherine has been the annual recipient of several awards including Washingtonian “500 Most Influential Policymakers” and Cable Fax “Top 100” media executives. She serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of the WICT Network, an organization dedicated to empowering women in media, entertainment and technology, and on the Board of Advisors of Fair Chance, a capacity building non-profit. A native Texan, Catherine and her husband David live in Washington, DC with their three children.

Karen Buchholz
Strategic Planning Committee Chair

Strategic Planning Committee Chair
Karen Buchholz
EVP of Administration, Comcast
Karen Dougherty Buchholz serves as Executive Vice President of Administration for Comcast Corporation. Karen has a wide array of corporate responsibilities, including corporate real estate, facilities, aviation, corporate services, business continuity, travel, security and sustainability.
Additionally, Karen is partnering with the Comcast Cable leadership team to build and launch Comcast’s “Lift Zones” – bringing her extensive operational and community experience to one of the company’s newest and most critical initiatives. Through these Lift Zones, the company will work with thousands of nonprofit partners and city leaders across the country to create safe places for under-resourced students to connect to the Internet for free and participate in distance learning.
During her more than 20-year tenure, Karen has led many facets of the organization. She was the executive in charge of the development of Comcast’s new Technology Center, a $1.5 billion, 60-story tower adjacent to Comcast’s corporate headquarters, the Comcast Center. Karen also previously oversaw the development of Comcast Center, a $750 million, 56-story tower from 2005 through 2008.
For close to a decade, Karen also led the company’s corporate Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion function. In partnership with key leaders across the business, Karen and her team launched and assembled the Joint Diversity Council, introduced Employee Resource Groups, and drove meaningful progress in supplier diversity, diverse programming, and community impact initiatives.
From 2000 to 2003, Karen established Comcast’s first corporate communications infrastructure, unifying communications for the entire family of Comcast companies. This included leading communications during many company acquisitions, including the company’s transformative acquisition of AT&T Broadband in 2001-2002.
Prior to Comcast, in 1997, then-Mayor Edward G. Rendell appointed Karen as President of Philadelphia 2000, the organization that brought the 2000 Republican National Convention to Philadelphia and served as the City’s official Host Committee. The Convention attracted 50,000 visitors and won national and international media attention. Immediate economic benefits exceeded $300 million.
Karen served as Sales Executive for Comcast Spectacor from 1993 to 1997 to develop corporate sponsorships for what is now called the Wells Fargo Center, a 20,000-seat arena and home to the Comcast-owned Philadelphia Flyers and the Philadelphia 76ers. In 1991, Karen led the development of the Pyramid Club at the top of the Mellon Bank Center for Club Corporation of America. Karen was the club’s Membership Director and sole corporate representative in Philadelphia for Club Corporation of America.
Karen served as Special Assistant to State Treasurer Barbara Hafer during her 1990 gubernatorial bid. From 1988-1990, Karen was Special Assistant to United States Senator John Heinz in Washington, D.C.
Karen received her M.S. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1997. She is a 1988 graduate of Dickinson College and the Dickinson Center for European Studies in Bologna, Italy.
Karen serves on WSFS Financial Corporation and Wilmington Savings Fund Society, FSB Board of Directors. She also serves on the Boards of civic and charitable organizations, including: Board of Trustees, Drexel University; Global Board of Directors, The WICT Network; and Board of Directors, Museum of the American Revolution.
Karen has received numerous awards, including: 2018 Police Athletic League of Philadelphia’s PAL Award; 2016 Philadelphia Magazine’s Trailblazer Award; 2014 United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey Women’s Initiative Award; 2012 Multichannel News Wonder Women Award; 2009 Pennsylvania’s Best 50 Women in Business Award; and 2008 American Heart Association “Go Red for Women” Woman of Heart Award.
Rhonda Crichlow
Governance Committee Chair

Governance Committee Chair
Rhonda Crichlow
SVP & CDO, Charter Communications
In October 2016, Rhonda Crichlow was appointed Senior Vice President, Chief Diversity Officer for Charter Communications. She is responsible for the development and management of Charter’s diversity and inclusion strategy supporting 100,000+ employees. In 2019, Rhonda’s portfolio was expanded to include leadership of Charter’s Community Impact function, which encompasses the company’s strategic philanthropic investments and employee volunteerism initiatives.
Prior to working with Charter, Rhonda served as a member of the Innovative Medicines Executive Committee for Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation (NPC), where she was the Vice President and Head, US Diversity & Inclusion, and President of the Novartis US Foundation.
Since joining the telecommunications industry, Rhonda has received numerous awards including: the Diversity Advocate Award, T. Howard Foundation (2023); Next Generation Leader Award, National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications (2021); Inaugural Elite 100 Black Women Changing Corporate America, Diversity Woman Media (2021); Cablefax Most Influential Women in Cable (2019-2023); Cablefax Most Influential Minorities in Cable (2018-2023); and Leadership Advocacy and Excellence Award – Women in Cable Telecommunications (2018).
Rhonda also serves on the Boards of Directors for the National Organization on Disability and The Syndeo Institute, and is a member of the Corporate Board of Advisors for UnidosUS.
She received her undergraduate degree from The George Washington University, a Master of Public Policy from Duke University, and a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia Law School.
Alaka Williams
Chapter Development Committee Chair

Chapter Development Committee Chair
Alaka Williams
SVP, Human Resources – U.S. Networks, Warner Bros Discovery
Alaka Williams serves as Senior Vice President of Network Human Resources at Discovery, Inc. (formerly Scripps Networks Interactive). In this role, she is responsible for HR leadership of six of the company’s US-based networks. She is responsible for providing organizational, leadership and individual performance counsel to various business units, facilitating change and transition with these units through the assessment, design, facilitation and implementation of appropriate organizational intervention, and being in touch with employee needs and human resources communities and systems for her over 300 U.S. employee customers. Prior to her current role, Williams served as Vice President of Human Resources for the Travel Channel.
Williams arrived at Travel Channel in 2010 after eight years with Live Nation as both Director of Human Resources and Director of Employee Relations. She also served as a human resources manager for Clear Channel Communications. She began her career as a regional human resources manager for KinderCare Learning Centers, Inc.
In addition to her professional work, she’s also involved in the Emma Bowen Foundation’s Youth and Young Professionals program and the Year Up program in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. She actively serves as a mentor in the Scripps Networks Interactive Mentor Experience program, as well as the T. Howard Foundation’s mentor program for promising college students interested in media.
In spring 2016, Williams was selected to attend the The WICT Network Senior Executive Summit at Stanford University. She is also a member of The WICT Network’s Global Board of Directors. Williams has been recognized by the National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications for her commitment to fostering diversity. She is a proud graduate of NAMIC’s 2016 Executive Leadership Development Program and one of the organization’s 2016 Luminaries. Williams was also listed as one of Cablefax’s 2016 Most Influential Minorities.
Maria E. Brennan, CAE
President & CEO

President & CEO
Maria E. Brennan, CAE
Maria E. Brennan, CAE, is the President & CEO of The WICT Network: Empowering Women in Media, Entertainment and Technology, a 10,000 member global nonprofit celebrating over 40 years of serving women in the cable industry. During her time at The WICT Network, Brennan has worked collaboratively with its leaders and stakeholders to steer the organization’s strategic vision, resulting in record levels of membership, sponsor support, and program participation. Brennan has over 25 years of executive management experience with non-profits ranging in size from 2,000 to 33,000 members, with particular expertise in the areas of strategic planning, communications and advocacy.
As the public voice of The WICT Network, Brennan is an experienced spokesperson and advocate for the media industry and diversity, equity and inclusion. She is a frequently quoted expert on equal pay issues and work/life integration and has been published or featured in such magazines as Broadcasting & Cable, Working Mother, Association Trends, Selecta and Cablefax.
Brennan is an award-winning writer receiving an EXCEL Award for her byline, “Hear Me Roar.” She was elected to serve on the Women’s Leadership Board at Harvard University where she continues to serve for over 10 years. She is a charter member of the FCC Advisory Committee on Diversity and Digital Empowerment, having recently finished her sixth term. Brennan is a founding member of WIPP — Women Impacting Public Policy — and a Former Commissioner for the Girl Scouts Healthy Media Council.
Brennan was recognized with a Vanguard Award by NCTA–The Internet & Television Association, in recognition of her contributions to the media industry’s innovation, growth and progress. Brennan has been named among Cablefax’s list of Most Powerful Women in Cable annually since 2010 and in 2022 received Cablefax’s Women’s Advocacy Champion award.
At-Large Directors
Lisa Anselmo
Altice USA

Altice USA
Lisa Anselmo
EVP, Communications & Community Affairs and Chief Diversity Officer, Altice USA
As Executive Vice President, Communications and Community Affairs, Lisa Gonzalez Anselmo oversees external and internal communications and community affairs activities for Altice USA and its portfolio of companies. In this role, Ms. Anselmo is the company’s chief spokesperson and provides communications strategy in support of the company’s corporate and business developments as well as its telecommunications, media, and advertising offerings nationwide. Ms. Anselmo also leads Altice USA’s community affairs program, which is focused on supporting making a difference in local communities across the company’s footprint through the key areas of broadband accessibility, STEM learning and innovation, and digital wellness. Additionally, as Chief Diversity Officer, she is responsible for the company-wide program to champion diversity and inclusion throughout all areas of the business and help to create a safe and positive environment for all employees.
Prior to Altice’s acquisition of Cablevision, Ms. Anselmo was Cablevision’s Vice President of Corporate Communications. Prior to joining Cablevision in 2010, she was director of public affairs and communications at American Express where she was responsible for internal, external and executive communications activities for the company’s U.S. and Latin America Merchant Services Division and the Risk, Information Management & Banking Group, respectively. Ms. Anselmo began her career at Altria Group, the parent company of Philip Morris USA and Kraft Foods, where she managed media relations and the company’s corporate reputation efforts.
Ms. Anselmo received a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications from Villanova University. She is involved with Guardians of Healing, a non-profit organization that executes medical missions and provides healthcare and medical education at no cost to underserved communities in the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
Samira Panah Bakhtiar
AWS

AWS
Samira Panah Bakhtiar
General Manager of Media & Entertainment, Games, and Sports, Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Samira Panah Bakhtiar is a dynamic leader in tune with the powerful relationship between digital media and technology. As General Manager of Media & Entertainment, Games, and Sports at Amazon Web Services (AWS), she leads a high-performing, multi-generational team of builders and champions diversity. Over the last decade, her work at AWS and Cisco, where she served as Director of Media Operations, led to strategic alignment and business transformations with some of the world’s largest media conglomerates. She has a proven track record in tech strategy, business development, and sales – focusing on introducing innovation and enhancing operational efficiency in the areas of content production, media supply chain, broadcast distribution, OTT, and content monetization.
Recognized for her exceptional ability to quickly understand and apply new concepts, address cross-functional challenges, and execute complex projects seamlessly, she infuses the AWS executive team with a fresh perspective. Striking the right balance between hitting performance targets and delivering at the highest standards, she’s secured $3B+ in committed contracts during her tenure. Samira also mentors numerous individuals at AWS and advocates for the promotion of team members of all levels within her organization to leadership roles. A visible female force in the M&E industry, Samira has spoken 20+ internal and external events in the last two years, including The WICT Network Leadership Conference on Driving Innovation, AWS re:Invent, yearly AWS Kick Offs, and the Metropolitan Police of London’s International Women’s Day Event. Topics ranged from ID&E, Intersectionality, and Career Planning to Owning Authenticity and Building High Performing Teams.
Passionate about advancing the status of women in technology, she is a presence in media, tech, and the NYC-based entrepreneurial community, as well as throughout major nonprofits and social impact organizations. Her humanitarian work focuses on the abolishment of human trafficking where she sat on the board of Together1Heart (an anti-human trafficking organization based in Cambodia) from 2017-2020. Samira’s philanthropic work has always been a strong personal driver, and as a result, she launched Bridge2Act in 2015, a venture focused on transforming the giving landscape through the use of technology. A graduate of the prestigious executive development program from the Betsy Magness Leadership Institute (Class 35), Samira continues to find ways to connect and inspire other ambitious women in tech. Samira was the inaugural winner of the Woman to Watch in Technology by The WICT Network in 2017, named a 40 Under 40 by NYC Television in 2019, and a Wonder Woman by Multichannel News in 2023. She is also a member of social organizations such as Soho House, Zero Bond, and Summit.
Samira graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Arizona with a B.S. in Finance and Magna Cum Laude from the Fordham University MBA program. Committed to continual learning, she obtained her Press Speaking Certifications at Amazon in 2022 (and is now an official Spokesperson) and her Solution Architect Certification in 2021. In 2022, she was cited as one of the most anticipated speakers on the IBC Website, presenting with Media Monk’s SVP on the “Future of Cloud Production.” In her personal time, Samira loves spending time with her family (including her 4-year-old son and 18-month-old daughter), traveling, practicing Muay Thai Kick Boxing, Hot Yoga, and hitting up the culinary scene with her husband, Koorosh, a restaurateur in Manhattan (Jajaja Plantas Mexicana, Gelso & Grand).

Val Boreland
NBCUniversal Entertainment

NBCUniversal Entertainment
Val Boreland
EVP, Content Acquisitions, NBCUniversal Entertainment
As Executive Vice President, Content Acquisitions for NBCUniversal Entertainment, Val Boreland oversees the buying and curating of content across NBCU’s broadcast, cable and streaming platforms: NBC, Bravo, E!, Oxygen, SYFY, Universal Kids, USA Network and Peacock. She reports to Frances Berwick, Chairman, Entertainment Networks, NBCUniversal Entertainment.
Boreland’s team is responsible for high-profile deals across the entertainment portfolio, including Peacock’s agreement to bring Universal Filmed Entertainment Group releases to the platform following the theatrical release window and a multi-year movie output deal with Lionsgate. She also works with third-party studios domestically and internationally to acquire content for all of NBCU’s linear platforms and Peacock, including original films “Meet Cute” and “They/Them” and international series “The Tattooist of Auschwitz” and “Vigil.” Boreland is also responsible for bringing the enormously popular “John Wick” franchise to Peacock and the highly anticipated prequel series “The Continental: From the World of John Wick.”
Prior to her current role, Boreland served as Executive Vice President, Content Strategy & Acquisitions for NBCU’s six cable networks, where she oversaw cross-platform content scheduling, acquisitions and promo strategy. She also led acquisitions for Peacock as the direct-to-consumer brand geared up for its launch in 2020. While in that role, Boreland secured the rights to multiple high-profile properties for Peacock, including “Yellowstone,” “The Office” and the “Harry Potter” franchise. She was previously Executive Vice President of Content Strategy for USA and SYFY exclusively before expanding her purview to extend across the entire entertainment and lifestyle portfolio in 2019.
While in her EVP role at USA and SYFY, Boreland led high-profile acquisitions, including “Futurama” for SYFY, major movie packages for both networks, and also spearheaded the launch of “J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World” franchise on the NBCUniversal networks. In addition, she led the programming team that continued USA’s successful run as the #1 cable network for four additional years.
Prior to NBCUniversal, Boreland was Executive Vice President, Head of Programming & Production at REVOLT, the music television network she launched with Sean “Diddy” Combs in 2013. In this role, she had oversight of all programming and production, talent, news, music, social media, scheduling, promotion and research. Prior to that, she was Senior Vice President of Programming at Comedy Central. She began her career at Lifetime Television where she held several positions, including Vice President, Scheduling, Planning and Acquisitions.
Boreland has been recognized in prestigious industry publications such as Variety’s Dealmaker Impact Report of 2022, Cablefax’s Most Powerful Women and Most Influential Multi-Ethnic Executives. She was also a ChangeMaker Award Honoree at the 2023 Reel Works Gala. Boreland holds a BA degree in communications from the University of Michigan and resides in New York.
Roy Cho
AMC Networks

AMC Networks
Roy Cho
EVP, Distribution, AMC Networks
As Executive Vice President of Distribution, Roy manages a team that negotiates linear carriage agreements and premium bundle and SVOD agreements for AMC+ and SVODs in the U.S. and Canada, coordinates and executes marketing partnerships and campaigns, and manages ongoing relationships with distribution partners. Roy and his team also pursue partnership and business development opportunities in the tech and media sectors.
Prior to joining AMC Networks Cho worked as a corporate M&A and private equity attorney in the New York offices of Kirkland & Ellis LLP and Winston & Strawn LLP. While on leave of absence from Kirkland & Ellis, Cho won the Democratic primary and earned the nomination for U.S. Congress in New Jersey’s 5th Congressional District with 90.4% of the vote. During his campaign, he raised $1.3 million, earned the newspaper endorsements of New Jersey’s largest newspapers and received 43% of the vote in the general election.
Cho earned his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center where he was the Editor in Chief of the Georgetown Immigration Law Journal. While studying at Georgetown Law as an evening student, he served as Correspondence Director to U.S. Senator Byron L. Dorgan. Prior to law school, he worked as an Aide to the Governor of New Jersey and as Special Assistant to the Deputy Executive Director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Cho earned his undergraduate degree in political science from Brown University, where he graduated with honors.
Cho currently serves on the Community Advisory Board of NJTV.
Patty Donaldson
Cisco

Cisco
Patty Donaldson
Regional Director, Americas Service Provider, Cisco
Patty Donaldson is a Senior Sales leader with experience driving new businesses, markets, and customer relationships in the U.S. and Canada. In her current role as a Regional Director in Cisco’s Segments and Countries business, she leads teams focused on sales of products and services to Service Providers in the U.S. Under Patty’s leadership, her team is responsible for aligning Cisco resources to support their customer’s business drivers and strategic priorities. This includes sell to and sell through with direct and partner resources.
Since joining Cisco in 2007, Patty has led Service Provider teams across many different segments including cable, large enterprise customers such as The Walt Disney Company and Cox Enterprises, as well as web, media, and gaming accounts. She has built highly empowered and successful sales teams who have led the way in driving new products and business models to exceed customer expectations.
In addition to Patty’s sales leadership role, she is passionate about attracting and retaining a more diverse workforce including early in career talent. She participates not only in many Cisco initiatives but also external organizations such as Women in Cable Television. Currently, Patty serves as the Inclusion and Diversity lead for the Americas Service Provider Segment.
Patty holds a BBA in Marketing from the University of Georgia and resides in the Atlanta area. She enjoys spending time on the water and is a real estate enthusiast including building and designing homes.

Sara Edwards Hinzman
A+E Networks

A+E Networks
Sara Edwards Hinzman
SVP, Distribution & Strategy, A+E Networks
Sara Edwards Hinzman is Senior Vice President, Distribution & Strategy at A+E Networks. Based in New York and working remotely, she leads a team responsible for content distribution sales as well as overseeing distribution strategy for the company’s portfolio of products and services including A&E, HISTORY and Lifetime. She and her team manage A+E’s content distribution business across the US and Canada with partners such as Comcast, DirecTV, Hulu, NCTC, and others. Hinzman previously served as Vice President, Content Distribution.
Prior to joining A+E Networks, Sara spent 16 years at Showtime Networks where she held a variety of positions including, Vice President National Accounts, and Vice President, DBS. Sara started her career managing new product development for a plastics manufacturing company based in Dallas, TX, where she developed a produce bag that is still utilized in grocery stores nationwide.
A strong advocate of leadership development and empowering women, Sara is a graduate of the nationally recognized Betsy Magness Leadership Institute Program, The WICT Network Senior Executive Summit at Stanford University, and the Harvard Business School/CTAM (Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing) Cable Executive Management Program. Sara is proudly a Co-Founder of A+E’s award- winning Spark Mentor Program, which pairs senior female executives with rising women leaders across the company. She serves on the WICT Network Global Board of Directors, and is also a member of Chief, a private membership network focused on connecting and supporting women executive leaders. In addition, Sara serves on the Finance Committee of the Women’s Resource Center in Rhode Island which focuses on domestic violence prevention through individual empowerment.
Originally from Oklahoma City, Sara received an MBA from the University of Texas in Austin, TX and a bachelor’s degree in business and French from Trinity University in San Antonio, TX.
Loren Hudson
Comcast Cable

Comcast Cable
Loren Hudson
SVP & Chief Diversity Officer, Comcast Cable
Loren Hudson is Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer of Comcast Cable. In this role, Loren leads a shared effort to execute a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) human capital strategy that is reflective of and builds upon Comcast Cable’s goals. As the first CDO for Comcast Cable, Loren also serves as a key partner to the company’s leaders and the broader Human Resources organization, with an eye toward establishing frameworks for DE&I accountability and serving as a driver of employee training, career development, and education. Loren brings 20 years of Human Resources experience to this role. She joined Comcast and the cable industry in 2000 as Human Resources Generalist for the Charles County, Maryland location. Since then, she has held a variety of positions of increasing responsibility, most recently serving as Vice President of Human Resources for the Comcast Beltway Region’s more than 3,000 employees across Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia.
Loren received her bachelor’s degree in labor relations and a Master of Labor Relations from Rutgers University. She recently completed Cornell University’s Diversity & Inclusion Program and earned her Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Certification. In addition to her work at Comcast, she is an active member of Women in Cable Telecommunications (WICT) and a graduate of WICT’s Betsy Magness Leadership Institute, as well as a graduate of the Women’s Executive Leadership Program at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She is also a member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and a certified Professional in Human Resources (PHR).
Loren is a member of the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia’s DEI Committee. She is an active member of the Northern Virginia chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. and the Ways & Means Committee Lead. She has served on the boards for Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. She was named one of “the most influential multi-ethnic executives in the industry” by Cablefax’s Diversity List in 2021, 2022 and 2023, as was recognized on Cablefax’s 2022 and 2023 Most Powerful Women in Media and Broadband lists.
Loren is the proud mother to three beautiful children and wife of a U.S. Veteran.

Lori LeBas
The Walt Disney Company

The Walt Disney Company
Lori LeBas
EVP, Platform Distribution Operations, The Walt Disney Company
As head of the business operations team for The Walt Disney Company’s Platform Distribution segment, Lori LeBas supports the development and distribution of products and services that create meaningful value for the company, its partners, and consumers. She is focused on the design and implementation of business processes for efficient management and operation of all media distribution including linear networks, SVOD/AVOD/TVOD, transactional, syndication, audio and direct-to-consumer products. LeBas also leads the creation of cross-functional business requirements for new products, as well as oversight of all post-sales processes for content distribution across all platforms.
LeBas was elevated to her current position of Executive Vice President in early 2022 after serving as Senior Vice President of Platform Distribution Operations since 2020. The Platform Distribution business unit within TWDC that manages all third-party media sales efforts for distribution and affiliate-related business operations for all of the Company’s direct-to-consumer services and linear media networks and content sales agreements for General Entertainment, Studios and Sports.
Prior to her current role, LeBas led affiliate marketing and operations for the company’s affiliate sales and marketing division. She was accountable for the marketing impact on the growth and success of the Disney and ESPN Media Networks businesses including cable networks, broadband, video on demand, pay per view and all emerging media businesses plus director to consumer platform partner marketing. She also led technical and operational projects advancing the content distribution business and managing engagement across The Walt Disney Company and with distribution partners on product integration and existing service expansion including adoption and engagement of live streaming products, video on demand and newly developed products.
Previously, LeBas was Senior Vice President, Strategy and Business Operations for the company’s sales and marketing division overseeing a global advertising sales operations team responsible for all post-sales processes for television, digital and magazine and oversight of the affiliate operations team responsible for all post-sales processes for content distribution for television and digital platforms. She provided financial support and oversight for affiliate sales and marketing and ad sales and operational support for research and marketing.
LeBas joined ESPN in 2000 as Director, Affiliate Sales Development and Operations, responsible for, among other things, helping develop, pricing and packaging policies for ESPN’s domestic networks and overseeing ESPN relationships with distribution partners. Prior to joining ESPN, LeBas held a variety of positions at SNET, lastly as President of SNET Personal Vision, Inc., the company’s cable subsidiary. She also held marketing positions at The Connecticut Ballet and Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival.
LeBas is a graduate of the Betsy Magness Leadership Institute and has successfully completed the CTAM Executive Development Program at Harvard University. She is an active mentor in many programs at TWDC and externally. She has served on many Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Executive Councils and led culture development across TWDC. She is a member of The WICT Network and formerly served as Executive Advisor for the The WICT Network New England Chapter and informal advisor for the Southern California Chapter. LeBas is also a supporter of the T. Howard Foundation and NAMIC. She has served as Executive Champion for Employee Resources Groups across TWDC, supporting women, emerging leaders and the enabled community. She currently serves as the vice president of the CTAM Foundation Board and is a CTAM National Board member.
LeBas received her undergraduate degree in Economics and German from Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Mass. She is an avid traveler, certified yoga teacher and marathon runner. She lives in Connecticut with her husband Sean and looks forward to frequent visits with her son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter in Stockholm, Sweden.
Soraya Loerts
Liberty Global

Liberty Global
Soraya Loerts
MD Global Talent and Chief DEI Officer, Liberty Global
Soraya Loerts is the MD Global Talent and Chief DEI Officer of Liberty Global, where she is responsible for driving and implementing the multi-year DE&I strategy. Soraya joined the Liberty Global family in 2009, leading Omni-Channel Care and Retention at the former UPC Netherlands, before serving in various global leadership roles, VP Strategic Marketing & Digital transformation, VP Customer Experience and VP Product Quality. Soraya has over 22 years of experience in driving, customer and product experience, technology, and digital transformation at Cendris, Dell and Liberty Global.
Soraya has a BA in Management and Economics and a master’s degree in Quality and Business Transformation, she also completed the INSEAD CTAM Executive Program and The WICT Network’s Executive Stanford Program. She has been named “Leader of the year” by the Customer Management association and featured in the prestigious Rijksmuseum as an” Influential woman making a difference”. She is also recognized by “Topvrouwen” a platform showcasing top women leaders in the Netherlands and a member of the World Economic Chief DEI officers Forum.
In 2019 Soraya co-founded The WICT Network Europe chapter and served as president. Soraya currently serves on the WICT Global board as chapter leader designee.
Soraya’s personal aspiration is to encourage leaders to play a pivotal role in creating a consciously inclusive culture where everyone can feel as though they belong, in addition to driving a level playing field for women in the industry.
Ann McGlennen
Midco

Midco
Ann McGlennen
Chief Human Resources Officer, Midco
Ann McGlennen is known as an authentic, collaborative leader focused on positioning teams and businesses for success. As Midco’s Chief Human Resources Officer, Ann leads the talent acquisition, HR and organizational effectiveness business partners, employee relations, total rewards, and corporate communications teams to align human resources and people strategies with long-term, enterprise-wide goals while creating an optimal work environment leading to strong business outcomes.
Prior to joining Midco in 2017, Ann had a progressive 24-year career with Target Corporation serving in a variety of human resources leadership roles in both field operations and headquarters. From 2011 to 2016, she served as Vice President, Stores/Field HR for Target Canada. She was responsible for leading an effective and consistent human resources strategy for the stores/field teams as Target entered Canada, opening 124 stores in nine months. McGlennen also led all start-up and ongoing HR functions for Stores, Store Operations, Assets Protection and Distribution Centers that included organizational design, talent acquisition and planning, training and development, retention, diversity and inclusion, generalist functions, employee and labor relations, development of operational best practices and regulatory compliance, compensation, benefits, and internal communications.
As VPHR, Ann was responsible for all HR functions and driving sales in approximately 450 stores in 17 states in the Midwest, North, Pacific Northwest and HQ region, delivering approximately $17.5B in revenue with 80,000+ team members. Prior to VPHR, Ann held a variety of director roles at Target HQ, serving as a key partner of pyramid level leaders, directing HR generalist and team related talent and culture initiatives to ensure alignment of objectives, successful execution of key strategies and daily operations. She has led teams through significant reorganizations and subsequent change management.
An advocate of continuous learning and helping others achieve their goals and potential, Ann strongly supports The WICT Network. At Midco, WICT Network membership has increased, providing developmental and growth opportunities for the talented women of Midco. Additionally, Ann has participated in the Senior Executive Summit – Stanford Graduate School of Business, attended the Women’s Leadership Conference, twice served on the Women’s Leadership Conference Planning Committee, and led table discussions at the 2019 conference.
Ann graduated with honors from The American University with a BA in urban affairs. She currently serves as board chair for the Midco Foundation, is on the board of directors of the International Renaissance Festivals, Ltd. and participates in various volunteer activities.
Toni Murphy
Astound Broadband

Astound Broadband
Toni Murphy
EVP, Chief Operating Officer, Astound Broadband
Toni Murphy is the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Astound, the 6th largest broadband provider in the United States. In this role, Toni oversees the daily customer-facing operations of Astound, which includes customer care, sales and technical operations. Operating in over 11 US geographic regions, Toni plays a critical role in driving the strategic vision for Astound’s long-term growth.
Prior to this historic appointment, Toni spent nearly 16 years at Comcast NBCUniversal. In her last position at Comcast, Toni was the Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for Comcast’s Central Division. Based now in Atlanta, GA, she was responsible for driving customer growth and retention for a multi-billion-dollar enterprise, comprised of 12 Midwest and Southeastern states. Toni led go-to-market strategy for over 200 retail stores, field sales personnel, marketing, care operations for Xfinity-branded TV, Internet, Voice, Home and Mobile products and services.
Prior to this elevation, Toni Murphy made Comcast history as the first African American female appointed to Top Regional Executive. In her role as Senior Vice President of the Keystone Region, Toni was responsible for the organization’s operational, strategic, and financial performance across 4 states (Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, and Maryland)—a multi-billion-dollar business segment for Comcast. Based in Pittsburgh, she led an incredible team of 2,000 sales, marketing, engineering and operations professionals.
Toni is a Princeton University graduate and is highly regarded as one of the cable industry’s brightest talents. She has demonstrated a capacity to lead in different functional areas including Business and Consumer Sales, Finance, Project Management, and Customer Experience. Toni is a trailblazer – she is an executive champion for the industry’s DEI initiatives, focused on implementing new strategies to hire, retain and develop the next generation of diverse leaders.
Toni sits on the board of Eat N Park Hospitality Group, a premier Pittsburgh-based portfolio of food services concepts, featured in restaurants and on colleges and corporate campuses.
She has been recognized for her professional success and her commitment to community investment, including Cable Fax’s The Diversity List and Power 100 for City and State PA.
In her spare time, Toni is a jazz singer, who enjoys traveling, writing poetry and spending time with her husband, Craig Murphy, and their three children, LilyJin, Blaise and London.
Kia Painter
Cox Communications

Cox Communications
Kia Painter
EVP & Incoming Chief People Officer, Cox Communications
Kia Painter is Executive Vice President and Incoming Chief People Officer for Cox Communications. In this role, she is responsible for leading the development and execution of talent strategy that aligns with Cox’s operating principles and working through the challenges of driving continual growth in our rapidly evolving business.
Prior to this role, Kia served as Senior Vice President, HR Business Partnerships, where she was responsible for leading HR business consulting and service delivery functions for Cox Communications.
Painter joined Cox in 1998 as a part time HR Assistant in Cox Hampton Roads after completing undergraduate studies. During her twenty-four plus years with the company, she has risen through the ranks and led people functions throughout Cox regions and markets in the Southeast notably in Virginia, Florida, and Louisiana. In 2015, she moved to Atlanta to establish Cox Communication’s employee experience, employee engagement, and organization design practices for the company.
She is the recipient of various industry awards including:
- 2022 Mae Douglas Leadership Award
- 2022 NAMIC Next Generation Leader Award
- 2021 Horizon Woman to Watch Award, The WICT Network Southeast
- 2021, 2020, 2019- CableFax Diversity List
- 2014 Top 40 under 40 by Multichannel News Magazine
- 2011 NAMIC Luminary Award for up-and-coming industry executives
She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from James Madison University. She also holds a Master of Arts in Human and Organizational Development from The George Washington University and a Master of Business Administration from Tulane University.
When she is not at Cox looking for ways to create career opportunities and experiences for our employees, she spends her time reading and looking for new things to learn. She is a native of Norfolk, Virginia, and currently resides in Powder Springs, Georgia.

Cindy Parsons
CSG

CSG
Cindy Parsons
Executive Director, ESG & Sustainability
Cindy is the executive director of environmental, social & governance, and sustainability for CSG. In this role, she guides the company’s ESG strategy, reporting and disclosure process, policy development, and communications. She is also responsible for developing strategic sustainability programs designed to drive innovative approaches to inclusive and sustainable impact programs that benefit the community and preserve the planet.
Prior to CSG, Cindy served as the vice president of market planning and strategy for Comcast. In this position, she was responsible for identifying opportunities offered by a connected world for cities across the Comcast footprint. She worked with local leadership to collaborate with people, companies, not-for-profits, and government leaders to bring big ideas to life and unleash the innovation economy. Her team enabled forward-thinking cities populated with big thinkers to innovate and enable breakthroughs in business, the arts, healthcare, and education through sustained partnerships, working with city leaders to catalyze innovation and accelerate economic growth.
Prior to this role, Cindy served as the vice president of community impact for Comcast’s West Division, and in her previous role as vice president of external affairs for Comcast’s Mile High Region, Cindy has demonstrated success in creating and sustaining deep relationships with key influencers; including media, business leaders, government officials, the non-profit sector and the growing and evolving entrepreneurial and start-up communities.
She currently serves on the Visit Denver Board (Chair 2013), Colorado Inclusive Economy, and Metropolitan State University Foundation Board and previously served on the Downtown Denver Partnership, Denver Civic Ventures Board, and Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado Board among others in Colorado. She is an active member of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce and Leadership Foundation (Chair 2010), the Metro Economic Development Corporation, and Women In Cable & Telecommunications. Cindy is alumni of the 2006 DMCLF Leadership Denver program, served on the Downtown Denver Partnership awards jury in 2005, and chaired the jury in 2007/2008 and again in 2016.
Laura Peterson
Accenture

Accenture
Laura Peterson
North America Communications, Media & Technology Industry Practices Lead, Accenture
Laura Peterson is a senior managing director leading Accenture’s Communications, Media and Technology (CMT) business in the Northeast market unit. She is accountable for Accenture’s strategy, talent development, growth and delivery for its CMT clients in the region, including overseeing a team of client account leaders and directors responsible for connecting Accenture’s solutions with its clients’ business priorities. She focuses on helping C-suite executives address the challenges facing their companies today, particularly those at the intersection of business and technology.
In addition, Laura is the office managing director for Accenture in New York Metro. In this role, she leads all of Accenture’s 7,000+ people aligned to the region, as well as clients and community-related efforts. Laura also had the privilege of leading the design and build-out of Accenture’s innovation flagship in New York at One Manhattan West in Hudson Yards. This flagship is central to Accenture’s innovation strategy for North America and serves as a commitment to New York and the firm’s 2025 sustainability goals.
Prior to these roles, Laura was a leader in Accenture’s Consumer Goods and Retail practices holding various roles across Accenture Consulting, Strategy, Technology, Digital and Operations. In her over 22 years at Accenture, she has built her experience in operating model transformation—including digital business and shared services—business transformation, sustainable cost management, journey management and business change.
Laura is often recognized amongst powerful women in business, having been chosen as a 2020 International Women’s Forum leadership fellow and was recently awarded Seramount’s 2022 Women of Excellence honors and Crain’s New York Business “Notable Women in Accounting and Consulting” award. These accomplishments are only the start of what Laura is most passionate about: paying it forward to support next-gen women leaders. She is setting the agenda for the advancement of women—and all diverse, equitable and inclusive talent—through her advocacy, mentoring and executive sponsorship of Accenture’s LGBTQ+ and women’s employee resource groups (ERGs) and for the firm’s New York Metro workforce as the local office managing director. Lastly, she is active in several local causes, volunteerism programs and other diverse forums in New York, including Covenant House, the Women’s Forum of New York and serving as a parent volunteer within New York City Public Schools. Laura truly believes that getting to equal makes us all stronger and that it is the responsibility of business leaders to do good while doing well.

Asif Sadiq
Warner Bros. Discovery

Warner Bros. Discovery
Asif Sadiq
Chief Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, Warner Bros. Discovery
Asif is the Chief Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer at Warner Bros. Discovery. He was previously the Global Head of Diversity, Inclusion and Social Impact at adidas and has a long and rich career in the diversity and inclusion space with senior executive roles at The Telegraph Media Group, EY Financial Services and the City of London Police. He is a board member for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and a member of the board of advisors for Hedley May. Over his 20-year career he has worked in Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa and Asia.
Asif has been credited with impactful global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion activities and programs across organizations, that have created a strong sense of belonging for all and resulted in truly diverse workplaces. He has been key in building synergies between internal and external D&I efforts within organizations, ensuring diversity and inclusion is embedded in all elements of a business, resulting in innovative, creative and inclusive products and services.
He is a Multi-Award-Winning Diversity and Inclusion expert with a proven track record in D&I, Sustainability and Social Impact, being listed as one of the most influential Global D&I Leaders by Hive Learning, the CIPD’s Top 20 Power list and a LinkedIn Influencer. He is winner of numerous awards including the highly commended Head of Diversity Award at the European Diversity Awards and was honoured with an MBE in 2017 by the Queen and granted the freedom of the City of London in 2016.
In 2023 Asif was granted an honorary doctorate by The Open University in recognition of his innovative and socially responsible business developments and exceptional contributions in the field of diversity, inclusion and belonging globally.

Nathan Watt
Afiniti

Afiniti
Nathan Watt
SVP, Commercial Ops., Afiniti
Nathan serves as Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations for Afiniti, the world’s leading applied artificial intelligence provider. He is responsible for P&L management, long-term strategic planning, and implementation of cutting-edge behavioral pairing models.
Prior to joining Afiniti, Nathan served as an Assistant Vice President at AT&T where he led teams in operations, sales, and customer experience. His tenure at AT&T was highlighted by leading numerous large-scale transformation projects. Most notably, Nathan was responsible for spearheading the contact center work-from-home initiative at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic. With the health of the workforce and the stability of global operations at stake, he worked quickly to stand up work-from-home capabilities for more than 35,000 representatives within weeks of the world-wide shut down.
Outside of work, Nathan is passionate about helping others. For the past 25 years, he has devoted himself to uplifting underserved communities. His journey began with the Los Angeles Catholic Worker, an organization committed to providing services and support to those experiencing homeless and poverty in the Los Angeles area. Since 2014, he has been actively involved with Back on My Feet, a non-profit organization dedicated to combatting homelessness by using running and community support as powerful catalysts for personal transformation.
Together with his wife Megan and son Judah, Nathan calls Atlanta home. Outside of work, he is a licensed pilot and avid backpacker, spending much of his free time in the hills and skies above Atlanta.