EmpowerHer: Returners Program

Head of Communications & Public Relations, US Networks

Audrey Adlam, Head of Communications & Public Relations, US Networks, Warner Bros. Discovery, provides strategic leadership and communications counsel for close to 20 top television brands, including Discovery, HGTV, Food Network, TLC, TNT, TBS, OWN, Investigation Discovery and Cartoon Network/Adult Swim. She also is responsible for issues/crisis management as well as the development and implementation of press policy for the networks. In her role, Audrey leads a team of communications professionals who cultivate and execute high-impact, buzz-building, national press campaigns for the networks’ programming, on-air talent and consumer marketing initiatives. In 2023, her team’s efforts helped the US Networks reach more than 127 million total viewers on average per month.

Prior to her current role, Audrey was SVP, Communications at HGTV. Under her leadership, the communications team helped make household names of many talented real estate, design and renovation experts, including Drew and Jonathan Scott of Property Brothers: Forever Home , Ben and Erin Napier of Home Town, David Bromstad of My Lottery Dream Home , Hilary Farr and David Visentin of Love It or List It and Tarek El Moussa and Christina Hall of Flip or Flop. Audrey’s team also provided press strategy and support for home content on the streaming platform discovery+ and for HGTV’s experiential events and off-air brand-building programs.

Before joining HGTV, Audrey worked at the international marketing communications agency Porter Novelli, developing communications strategy and implementing creative campaigns for such clients as Kellogg’s, Princess Cruises, H-P, Sprint and P&G. She also directed publicity campaigns for cooking, gardening and travel titles during her time at Macmillan Publishing and managed national media relations on projects for Coca-Cola, Sandals Resorts and USAir while at the global PR firm Burson-Marsteller.

Audrey is a graduate of Temple University where she earned a B.A. in Journalism and Communications. She is also a graduate of the NAMIC Executive Leadership Development Program and a member of WICT, NAMIC and PRSA. She has been named as one of the “Top Women in PR” by PR News and included multiple times in the annual Cablefax “Diversity List.” She currently serves on the National Advisory Committee for the Emma Bowen Foundation.

Chief Evangelist

Dr. Bennett is Chief Evangelist of Maximize Consulting, LLC, a private consulting firm she started 22 years  ago.  This  thriving  boutique  firm  focuses  on  organizational effectiveness, leadership development and executive coaching. Her client base includes telecommunications, education, pharmaceutical, manufacturing and government entities. Dr. Bennett is committed to solutions that enhance workplace and leader productivity, in sync with key performance indicators.

For the past 16 yrs., she has been a highly active Senior Adjunct Faculty at the Center for Creative Leadership, co-facilitating programs for a range of CCL clients. She is co-facilitator of WICT Betsy Magness Leadership Institute and partners; she also designs and delivers programs for a range of other clients.

Her impressive career spans 35+-years in government, corporate and nonprofit sectors. She has held senior positions as V-P – Business Development at a Top 5 minority-owned marketing and communications firm; held a rare dual-hatted role as Special Assistant to the Director and to the Associate Director for Field Operations – U.S. Census Bureau. She received U.S. Commerce Dept. – Bronze Medal – For Superior Federal Service (highest civilian service award). She served five years as global Diversity Director – Habitat for Humanity International, where she designed and implemented the DE&I program and partner framework.

Her diverse experiences make her uniquely qualified to provide innovative and creative solutions to current challenges and opportunities for today’s complex workforce and workplace. She has proven DE&I, Belonging & psychological safety expertise across an array of industries such as Fortune 50 & Fortune 100 companies, BioPharma, finance, manufacturing, and local, state, and federal governments.

Dr. Bennett is a “thought leader” who uses her intellectual curiosity to design and deliver programs that help create dynamic and productive workforces. Her diverse career and life experiences enable her  to  customize  executive  coaching  and  organizational  effectiveness strategies  that deliver results.  Specifically, Dr. Bennett’s style and expertise make her uniquely qualified to work with high potential or plateaued minority and women leaders and employees, who face a distinctive set of challenges and opportunities not readily perceived or appreciated, in general context.

Dr. Bennett holds Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration, Masters of Regional Planning, triple-major Bachelor of    Arts,   and   as    a    life-long  learner,  she   completed       graduate   certificates       in Executive Women’s Leadership (Northwestern), Gamification (Wharton School of Business) and Design Thinking for Innovation (Darden School of Business) and is certified in numerous psychometric assessments. Dr. Bennett    is      an     author,    college    lecturer, innovator, sought-after inspirational speaker, and podcaster.

Most of all, Dr. Bennett, “LD” as she is affectionately called, is passionate about inspiring and empowering others to courageously achieve their goals.

Check  out our  website: www.maximizecommonsense.com

VP, Corporate Strategy

Shilpa is a VP on the Global Corporate Strategy team at Warner Bros Discovery, leading cross-functional and cross-BU initiatives such as strategic planning & Board materials, content optimization, and business development efforts for JVs/partnerships. She also leads WBD’s emerging tech accelerator, Collider on the Lot. Shilpa gets excited about taking ideas from 0 to 100 by empowering high-performance teams to hit ambitious goals through a customer-centric, data-driven approach.

President & CEO

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 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, having received an EXCEL Award for her byline, “Hear Me Roar.” She was elected to serve on the Women’s Leadership Board at Harvard University in 2007. She is a charter member of the FCC Advisory Committee on Diversity and Digital Empowerment, where she recently finished her sixth term. She is a coalition member of WIPP — Women Impacting Public Policy — and a 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.

GVP, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion North America

Lisa Collins serves as Group Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion North America at Warner Bros. Discovery. In this role, Collins leads the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Business Partner team responsible for developing and implementing tailored programs aimed at enhancing recruitment, retention, advancement, performance management, leadership development, and employee engagement within the business units. She also collaborates with executives throughout the North American region to integrate DEI principles into all aspects of the company’s operations.

Prior to joining Warner Bros. Discovery, Collins served as Director of Production HR at Netflix, where she led the global HR team focused on providing HR support to film and television productions.

Previously, Collins worked at Warner Bros. Entertainment as the Head of People Partners for Production where here team was responsible for providing HR support to cast and crew members working on productions around the world. Prior to that, she was Director of HR where she was directly responsible for the HR function at Telepictures Productions and oversaw the implementation of strategies that enabled the executive team to recruit, develop, and retain their production workforce.

Collins also served as Manager of Human Resources at NBCUniversal, where she managed and delivered key initiatives for the Studio Operations group. Collins started her HR career in the music industry with Motown Records, and held various HR roles with PolyGram Music Group, Universal Records, and Jive Records, as well as retailer Hot Topic/Torrid.

Collins holds a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies and communication from California State University, Dominguez Hills, and a master’s degree in management and leadership from Webster University.

SVP, Educational Program

Jessa Cooke is Senior Vice President of Educational Programs at The WICT Network, based in Washington, DC. Jessa is an experienced executive with more than 15 years of experience in designing high-quality programs, cultivating partnerships and generating revenue growth. With expertise in content and curriculum design that supports the career development of executives and high-potential talent, she specializes in women’s leadership development.

Prior to joining The WICT Network in July 2021, Jessa served as Vice President of Leadership Development and Operations at the International Women’s Forum, a global membership organization of leading female executives. She began her career in the Press Office of the House Committee on Rules, Chaired by Congresswoman Louise Slaughter. Jessa earned a BA in Journalism at the University of Pittsburgh and completed the Georgetown University Nonprofit Management Executive Certificate program in 2014.

An avid traveler, Jessa has visited 26 countries, and has experience living and working abroad in Sheffield, England and Shaoxing, China. She currently resides in Washington, DC with her husband, sons and rather handsome cat.

SVP, Executive Search

McKenna Cyphers is Vice President of Candidate Development and Strategy with Carlsen Resources, Inc. (CRI), responsible for recruiting and developing executive candidates for client companies.

McKenna joined CRI with a background in media and a deep understanding of the new talent marketplace and changing workforce requirements.  Before joining CRI, she managed affiliate sales for Participant Media.  Her client focus, collaborative approach, and innate ability to recognize potential in others enable her to uncover up-and-coming talent, deliver exceptional candidates to meet each employer’s unique culture and needs, and support long-term success for clients and candidates.

She builds strong relationships and is tireless in her pursuit of the ideal person for each position.  McKenna’s results speak for themselves. She enthusiastically endorses CRI’s diligence and high-touch approach.

A Colorado State University graduate, McKenna holds a BA in Journalism and Media Communication with a Business minor.  She lives in New York City, where she enjoys yoga, reading, and playing with her rescue dog, Pippa.

VP, Talent

Jhneall Gardner is Vice President of Talent for Warner Bros. Discovery, where she leads teams across Employer Branding, Market Intelligence, Diversity Outreach and Sourcing. Collectively, her organization is responsible for telling the WBD employer story, showcasing why Warner Bros. Discovery is home to the world’s greatest talent and attracting the next generation of world class talent to the organization. Prior to her current role Jhneall led Discovery Inc.’s Technology Executive Search function, helping build the existing Technology Leadership Team within WBD from the ground up. Prior to that, she held multiple positions across Discovery’s European business. Jhneall is also co-creator, host, and Executive Producer of WBD’s Empowered Women, Empower Women podcast, where she has the privilege sitting down with some of media and tech’s most talented and pioneering women and discussing all things tech.

Chief Customer Officer

Orlando is the Chief Customer Officer at Afiniti. He is responsible for business development, managing key client relationships, overseeing deployments, and managing Afiniti’s team, operations, and strategy in the US.

Orlando has been with Afiniti since 2008. Prior to joining Afiniti, Orlando served as a Senior Business Operations Manager at Chase, where he was responsible for inbound and outbound sales performance for card service, and for overseeing more than 2,000 employees in vendor operations in India, the Philippines, and South America. He also served as Vice President at Providian Financial, where he managed telemarketing quality and training teams to support inbound and outbound calling.

Today, Orlando serves on the boards of Usher’s New Look and IGNITE Worldwide, organizations dedicated to empowering under-resourced youth and promoting gender equity in STEM through innovative mentorship and leadership programs.

Founder

Carla is the founder of potential, a boutique leadership + coaching firm that creates learning experiences to help leaders and teams realize their full potential. Carla began her career in the cosmetics industry and grew to become a Global Vice President where she was responsible for the development of 10,000+ employees located in 120+ countries.

With over two decades of executive leadership experience, team development and coaching, Carla recognizes the transformative impact of courageous leadership on both business results and engagement. She shares her wealth of leadership experience and real-life examples with her clients in order to transform performance.

Customization is the key difference with all programs potential provides. The experienced team of consultants create and facilitate bespoke programs including workshops, coaching, strategy, keynotes and executive off-site meetings.

Prior to founding potential, Carla inspired teams as the Vice President of Global Artistry, Education and Events at Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, Vice President of Learning and Education at Bumble and bumble, Vice President of International Education at Clinique, and Executive Director of Leadership Development. Carla has a B.S. in Business Administration and is a Certified Dare to Lead Facilitator, Certified Fierce Conversations Facilitator, Gallup Strengths Coach and Mind Gym Coach. Born and raised in Kentucky, Carla lives in New York and is lucky to be Andrew’s mom and loves their new French Bulldog, Buster.

Co-Founder and Chief Visionary

Natalie Johnson is a renowned consultant, performance coach, and business motivational speaker with over three decades of experience transforming cultures worldwide. As the Co-founder and Chief Visionary of Vidl Work, Natalie specializes in optimizing organizational performance by increasing energy, fostering team connections, and developing courageous leaders.

With a background in human performance, including psychology, physiology, and resilience, Natalie is a sought-after speaker and trainer, known for her engaging, high-energy presentations. Her impactful work has earned her numerous accolades, including the Enterprising Women of the Year Award, Champion of Healthcare, and Business Leader Woman Extraordinaire.

Natalie’s dynamic speaking style and expertise in topics such as intentional culture, leadership development, and effective communication have made her a respected figure in the business world. Her ability to inspire and empower audiences to achieve their full potential has made her a valuable asset to organizations seeking to thrive in today’s competitive landscape.

GVP, HR, Customer Operations

Madelyn Marino joined Charter Communications in 2021 and was named Group Vice President, Human Resources, Customer Operations in June 2022. In her role, she oversees a team that provides human resources support—including talent management, recruiting, career development, and employee relations—for Spectrum’s 20,000+ employees in Customer Operations.

With innovation and professional development at the forefront of her approach, Madelyn has spearheaded a women’s leadership development program for Vice Presidents in Customer Operations, and been a leader in expanding Charter’s partnership with Hiring Our Heroes, a nationwide initiative to help connect the military community with civilian companies to create economic opportunity and a strong and diversified workforce.

Prior to Charter, Madelyn worked at American Express for over 15 years, starting as an HR analyst and eventually moving up to manager, director and vice president roles, including leading human resources for the company’s global merchant services and global servicing networks.

Before joining American Express, Madelyn worked as an organizational and management consultant for The Center for Organizational Excellence and E. Rogers Associates.

Madelyn received a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Mary Washington, and a Master’s degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Hofstra University. She lives in Glen Rock, NJ with her husband Michael and son Jonas. Madelyn is an avid runner, having completed over 50 half marathons.

Group Vice President, Content Security Technology

Brooke McAnaney currently serves as Group Vice President, Content Security Technology & Operations for Warner Bros. Discovery. She and her team provide a broad range of content and distribution security subject matter expertise across the Warner Bros. Discovery global content supply chain. From development to production and through content distribution, they help support and advocate for creating secure, efficient & innovative content workflows in alignment with applicable compliance requirements, standards, and industry best practices.

In her 15 years at Warner Bros. Discovery, McAnaney has led cross-functional teams responsible for business continuity and disaster recovery planning and managed strategic vendor relationships and P&L across various technology portfolios.

Before joining Warner Bros. Discovery, McAnaney worked as Vice President, Remote Operations for CBS Sports Network and held other management roles with Major League Baseball, Sony, and ESPN Classic. She holds a B.A. in Communications from Marymount Manhattan College and is an ISACA Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) & Certified Information Security Manager (CISM). McAnaney is a founding committee member of Women@HBO and is a member of Women in Sports Media Initiative (WISMI) and WICT. McAnaney currently resides in Manhattan with her husband Eamon and two sons.

Director, Diversity Outreach, Talent Acquisition

Antoinette Miller is a strategic career development and diversity, equity and inclusion practitioner with over 12 years of demonstrated experience that spans across the media, entertainment and technology industries. She is currently the Director of Diversity Outreach, Talent Acquisition at Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) where she leads a high impact bi-coastal team that is responsible for sourcing, attracting, pipelining and recruiting talent from BIPOC and underrepresented communities. Prior to WBD, she was the VP of Talent Acquisition and Partner Relations at the Emma Bowen Foundation (EBF), where she was charged with leading initiatives and programs that support the attraction, recruitment, retention, development, and empowerment of diverse early-career talent for the EBF Fellowship program.

Before EBF, Antoinette was the Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Initiatives at NBCUniversal, LLC, where she managed initiatives that support the company’s commitment to diversity, equity & inclusion; specifically focusing on employee engagement and retention of talent, leadership and workforce development, and strategic management of the company’s ten global employee resource groups (ERGs).

She also worked in Talent Acquisition at WarnerMedia – HBO, serving as the Manager of University Relations & Recruitment where she led the project and program management of all internal/external collegiate and early career development initiatives in Seattle, WA and New York City. She joined HBO in 2013 as an Associate Recruiter and was quickly promoted to Recruiter serving as a brand ambassador and lead liaison for diversity and inclusion hiring initiatives where she was responsible for collaborating with mid- to senior-level executives to create, develop, and execute employment search strategies.

Antoinette started her career in the media industry as the Diversity Assistant and then Coordinator at News Corporation (News Corp.) working with the Corporate Diversity team. She supported the launch of company wide diversity initiatives, as well as worked with business unit recruiters in the hiring, development and outreach of talent from underrepresented communities. A native New Yorker and dog mom, Antoinette received a BS in Mass Communications from Norfolk State University, and MS in Public Relations and Corporate Communications from New York University (NYU).

EVP, Client Partnerships & Inclusive Solutions

Sheereen Miller Russell serves as Executive Vice President, Client Partnerships and Inclusion Solutions at Warner Bros. Discovery. In her current role, Sheereen oversees the Client Partnerships team that focuses on client development and partnership strategy with key advertisers across the WBD linear and digital portfolio. Her team works closely with theatrical, distribution, gaming and licensing for topline revenue optimization. Additionally, Sheereen oversees the Inclusive Ad Sales Solutions team, supporting brands that seek diverse audiences.

Prior to WBD, Sheereen had a successful decade-long tenure at Viacom, where she rose through the ranks and became VP of Brand Sales at Viacom, building innovative solutions for key advertisers within MTV’s portfolio of live on-air awards shows, experiential tentpoles, premium programming and digital platforms. She was awarded the 2013 Presidential Award at Viacom for her revenue driving performance and team leadership.

Sheereen made the leap to Viacom from Time Warner/Time Inc. in 2006 after serving as the National Sales and Marketing Director at Sports Illustrated. While at Sports Illustrated, she was instrumental in developing and launching a college sports magazine, Sports Illustrated on Campus. She designed and spearheaded a successful influencer panel to offer national marketers both custom marketing and insights around college millennials. Sheereen began her media and entertainment career as a Publicist for Time Magazine.

Sheereen has received numerous industry accolades that highlight the impact she has made on the industry. In 2024, she will be honored at the Multichannel News Wonder Women New York Awards. In 2023, Sheereen was honored at the She Runs It: Changing the Game Awards as well as by Cynopsis Top Women in Media. In 2022, Sheereen was selected to Ad Age’s “The List,” a select group of marketing, advertising & media leaders recognized for their work toward addressing underrepresentation and work-life balance in the industry as well as Ad Age’s mission to increase diversity, equity and inclusion in senior leadership. In 2020, Sheereen was named to the board of the New York Women in Communications as Vice President of Memberships, joined the Ad Age Diversity Council, spearheaded OWN’s partnership with the ANA’s SeeHer initiative to expand positive representation for Black women in media, was a 2020 ANA Multicultural Awards Judge, and was named to the Cablefax 2020 Diversity List. In 2019, Sheereen was recognized as one of Ad Age’s “Women to Watch” list for her commitment to inclusive brand narratives and representation of Black audiences and accurate portrayals in all content. In 2018, NAMIC identified Sheereen as a “Next Generation Leader.”

Sheereen serves on the National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications (NAMIC), the New York Women in Communications (NY WICI), the Vox Media Board of Directors, as well as on the Board of the IRTS Foundation. She earned a BA in Communications with a Minor in Journalism from Wake Forest University. She currently resides in the New York area with her husband and two sons.

VP, Corporate Communication

Paige Pearson Meyer is the company’s spokesperson and leads the corporate communications and community relations teams. She is responsible for executing internal communications, crisis communications, executive team thought leadership and sponsor partnerships throughout the company’s footprint. Paige joined the Midco team in 2016 after working as the Communications & Recruitment Manager at a medical software company. Prior to that, she was a news and sports journalist for TV stations in Sioux Falls, Green Bay and Eau Claire. Paige earned a degree in sports broadcasting from Indiana University. Paige has graduated from the Leadership Sioux Falls, Leadership South Dakota and MDA Functional Leadership programs. She serves on the Downtown Sioux Falls, Breathe Bravely and Midco Foundation boards. Paige is a mentor for the EmBe Women’s Leadership Program, an advisor to C2HR and a member of The WICT Network.

Senior Managing Director, Communications, Media and Technology Lead, North America
New York Metro Office Managing Director

Laura Peterson is a senior managing director leading Accenture’s Communications, Media and Technology (CMT) business in North America.

She oversees a client portfolio of the world’s most recognizable brands in the wireless, media, entertainment, high tech, and software and platform industries, and is a vital part of driving the industry group’s global revenues of $11.5B in fiscal 2023.

Laura is accountable for Accenture’s strategy, talent development, growth and delivery for its CMT clients, including managing a team of client account leaders and directors responsible for connecting Accenture’s solutions with its clients’ business priorities.

In addition, Laura is the office managing director for Accenture in New York Metro. In this role, she leads Accenture’s 7,000+ people aligned to the region, as well as clients and community-related efforts. As a leading voice in the technology community, Laura is a member of Tech NYC and a David Rockefeller Fellow at Partnership for New York City where she is working to shape the city’s future as a creative technology hub. 

Laura is often recognized among powerful women in business and is awarded for her leadership. She received Seramount’s 2022 Women of Excellence honors and Crain’s New York Business “Notable Women in Accounting and Consulting” award. She is active in local causes and volunteerism programs in New York and serves on the WICT Network’s global board of directors, working to advance women in the media and technology industry.

Director, DEI Business Partner | Film & TV (HBO, DC, WB), Games, Streaming, Technology & Operations

Vanessa Pfeiffer is a multi-disciplinary executive with over 15 years’ experience working across creative, production, and talent development roles – always through the lens of inclusion and innovation. Vanessa leverages her industry experience to influence culture and systems – across both corporate and production environments. Currently Director, DEI Business Partner for WBD’s Film & TV, Streaming, Games, Technology & Operations businesses, Vanessa has designed and launched signature talent development programs that seek to increase access and opportunity for under-represented talent, including the Virtual Production Assistant Program in collaboration with HBO’s House of the Dragon, the first-ever California Registered Apprenticeship in VFX, and the ground-breaking Access Animated Shorts Program, which culminated in the NAACP and Annie Award nominated animated series Only You, now streaming on Max.

Chief People and Culture Officer

Jennifer Remling serves as the Chief People and Culture Officer for Warner Bros. Discovery where she oversees a global team dedicated to attracting, developing, and retaining the company’s 35,000+ talented employees. Remling brings over 20 years of global human resources, talent acquisition, and development experience to WBD. She focuses on building high-performing teams and shaping a workplace culture where employees feel valued, inspired, and empowered to do their best work.

Before joining Warner Bros. Discovery, Remling served as Global Chief People Officer for WPP, the largest marketing services company in the world with 115,000 employees across more than 100 countries. Prior to that, Remling held the same role at GroupM, WPP’s media investment group, and before that was Global Chief Talent Officer at Essence, GroupM’s digital media agency. She’s led large-scale HR teams in support of complex global organizations with tens of thousands of employees and made a lasting impact at WPP.

A respected thought leader in the HR space, Remling is passionate about employee development and inclusion initiatives and is committed to creating a positive and nurturing workplace environment where everyone can thrive.

Chief, Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer

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.

EVP, HR, Xfinity Growth Innovation & Experience (XGIE)

Tina Simmons, Executive Vice President of Human Resources, is responsible for leading all facets of human resources and organizational effectiveness for Xfinity Growth Innovation & Experience (XGIE) Teammates. Tina has responsibility for all people-related functions including culture, diversity, inclusion, equity & belonging, employee engagement, labor relations, HR policy, performance management, talent acquisition, and talent management. Tina previously held a similar role for Comcast’s Central Division.

She began her career with Bell Atlantic (Verizon) as Manager of Call Centers for Small Businesses in Pennsylvania and Delaware. She then transitioned to PECO Energy as Call Center Manager for call centers serving Southeast Pennsylvania customers. In her role as Practice Manager for Gartner Group’s Contact Center Assessment service, Tina was able to use her operations experience to identify and share customer care best practices. She also built the Customer Care function at Software Consulting Group. Tina joined Comcast in a Customer Operations role in 2000.

A graduate of Villanova University, Tina holds a bachelor’s degree in business and went on to earn a Master of Science in Organizational Dynamics from the University of Pennsylvania. Her professional studies include completion of Comcast’s premier leadership development program – Executive Leadership Forum, the Harvard Business School/CTAM (Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing) Cable Executive Management Program, the Cornell University ILR School HR Strategy Executive Education, and the WICT Senior Executive Summit at Stanford programs. Tina is an At-Large Member of the Board of Directors for the Women in Cable and Telecommunications (WICT) Network. Tina serves as an Executive Champion of Comcast’s Women’s Employee Resource Group. She has served on the Villanova School of Business Dean’s Advisory Council. She is a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Tina received Villanova University’s Eby Award for Outstanding Post Graduate Achievement. She has frequently been recognized as one of the Most Influential Minorities in Cable and one of the Most Powerful Women in Cable by Cablefax Magazine. Tina is the 2005 winner of NAMIC’s Paragon Award and received WICT’s Liberty Award in 2006. In 2007, she became a Class XIV Fellow of the WICT Betsy Magness Leadership Institute. Tina was awarded “Women Worth Watching in 2010” honors by the Profiles in Diversity Journal, recognized among the National Diversity Council’s 2011 “Most Powerful & Influential Women in Pennsylvania,” 2012’s “Most Powerful & Influential Women for Tri-State” awards, and the National Diversity Council’s “Most Powerful & Influential Women of Georgia” award in 2014 and the “Multicultural Leadership Award” in 2016.  Tina was recognized among 2017’s “Who’s Who in Black Atlanta” by the Atlanta Tribune and received the NAMIC – Atlanta Chapter’s “Mae Douglas Mentoring” award in 2017. Tina received the Off the Field Players’ Wives Association “Woman of Impact” Award and the WICT Southeast Chapter Red Letter Award in 2019. Finally, Tina was recognized on the Career Mastered Magazine Diversity IMPACT 50 List in 2022. Tina splits her time between Philadelphia and Atlanta where she resides with her husband.

Board Chair

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.