For immediate release
September 5, 2023
Contact: Greg Hickman
Maria Taylor, Host of Football Night in America, to Open the 2023 Leadership Conference in a Keynote Conversation with Val Boreland, EVP, Content Acquisitions, NBCUniversal Entertainment, with Special Introduction by Dalila Wilson-Scott, The WICT Network’s Woman of the Year – Operator, and EVP & Chief Diversity Officer of Comcast Corporation, and President of the Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation
Washington, DC – The WICT Network today announced that Maria Taylor, host of Football Night in America, the most-watched studio show in sports, will participate in a keynote conversation to open the 2023 Leadership Conference. Maria will be joined on stage by Val Boreland, EVP, Content Acquisitions, NBCUniversal Entertainment and member of The WICT Network Global Board of Directors, with a special introduction by Dalila Wilson-Scott, The WICT Network’s Woman of the Year – Operator, and EVP & Chief Diversity Officer of Comcast Corporation, and President of the Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation.
The conference takes place Monday, September 18 and Tuesday, September 19 at the New York Marriott Marquis, and serves as the kick off to Diversity Week 2023. This conversation will open the conference on Monday from 9:00 to 10:00 am. The opening session sets the tone for what’s to come and speaks volumes about the strong reputation of our Leadership Conference.
The WICT Network’s highly-anticipated 2023 Leadership Conference, aptly themed “Co-Create the Future,” will take a deep dive into cutting-edge business innovations and workplace solutions to address business strategy, human capital, productivity, psychological safety, DEIB and what it means to be a great leader today.
“We are thrilled to welcome Maria Taylor, Dalila Wilson Scott and board member, Val Boreland, to our esteemed group of speakers at The WICT Network 2023 Leadership Conference. Each is an exceptionally talented and inspiring role model for our industry,” said Maria E. Brennan, CAE, President & CEO of The WICT Network. “We look forward to Val facilitating a keynote conversation with Maria as she shares highlights from her remarkable career. We also look forward to special remarks from Dalila, our 2023 Woman of the Year – Operator. What an opening!”
Over an unprecedented 10-month period, Taylor hosted the NBC primetime broadcast of the NFL Draft, the NBA Finals, the Tokyo Olympic Games, the Super Bowl, and the Winter Olympics in Beijing. Taylor is executive producing an eight-part television documentary series on the history of the Black quarterback in the NFL. In 2021, Adweek named her one of the “Most Powerful Women in Sports.” In 2022, TIME Magazine included Taylor in their TIME100 Next list, which identifies the “emerging leaders who are shaping the future.”
The WICT Network gratefully acknowledges the top sponsors of the 2023 Leadership Conference, including Platinum Sponsor, Comcast NBCUniversal; Gold Sponsor, Charter Communications; Silver Sponsor, Cisco; and Champion Sponsors TV One and The Walt Disney Company.
More information about the conference, including the complete agenda and registration details, may be found online at lc2023.thewictnetwork.org.
About Maria Taylor
Maria Taylor is a television host and producer. She is the host of Football Night in America, the most-watched studio show in sports, and several other prestigious NBC Sports properties. She is the first female full-time host of Football Night. Over an unprecedented 10-month period, Taylor hosted the primetime network broadcast of the NFL Draft, the NBA Finals, the Tokyo Olympic Games, the Super Bowl, and the Winter Olympics in Beijing. Taylor is executive producing and currently in production on an eight-part television documentary series on the history of the Black quarterback in the NFL. In 2021, Adweek named her one of the “Most Powerful Women in Sports.” In 2022, TIME Magazine included Taylor in their TIME100 Next list, which identifies the “emerging leaders who are shaping the future.” Taylor was also featured in the 2022 Giorgio Armani “Crossroads” campaign, celebrating the global stories of 12 women, exploring the determination it takes to push past social conventions and limitations to achieve one’s dreams.
About Val Boreland
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. 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.”
About Dalila Wilson-Scott
Dalila Wilson-Scott serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer of Comcast Corporation and President of the Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation. In this role, Dalila oversees all Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion initiatives and philanthropic strategy for the corporation with a focus on advancing digital equity and economic mobility through Project UP, and the company’s fully-allocated $100 million pledge to advance social justice and equality. Dalila also leads Comcast’s community impact initiatives, working across the organization to provide strategic leadership throughout all aspects of its corporate social responsibility programs, including employee engagement and volunteerism. In addition, Dalila oversees efforts to utilize Comcast’s world-class media platforms to bring greater attention to the work of our philanthropic partners. In 2020, Comcast provided nearly $500 million in total support to 4,500 nonprofit partners sharing Comcast’s commitment to creating a more connected and equitable world.
About The WICT Network
The WICT Network is a global organization whose mission is to create women leaders that transform our industry. We do this by providing unparalleled professional development programs, commissioning original gender research, and supporting a B2B network that helps advance women. For more than 40 years, The WICT Network has partnered with media, entertainment and technology companies to help build a more robust pipeline of women leaders. Founded in 1979, and now over 10,000 members and 24 chapters strong, The WICT Network is the largest and oldest professional association serving women in media. Charter Communications, Comcast NBCUniversal and The Walt Disney Company are The WICT Network’s Strategic Touchstone Partners. Please visit www.wict.org or follow @WICTHQ on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter for more information.
