NBCUniversal promoting and partnerships president Laura Molen is exiting the corporate.
On Friday, Molen, who’s been with NBCUniversal for 10 years—and has co-led upfront negotiations since 2019—despatched a be aware to colleagues saying her departure.
“This was not a simple choice for me to make—but, as soon as determined, one I am extraordinarily assured (and excited) about,” Molen wrote.
The manager added that she is reprioritizing her focus to have time for household and exploring different passions, together with partnering with corporations and taking up board advisory positions.
“It has been an absolute privilege to be on this journey with all of you,” Molen mentioned. “Your partnership and, extra importantly, your friendship has made this an unimaginable expertise I’ll always remember—and I’m so happy with what we’ve completed collectively.”
Molen will keep on with NBCUniversal as an adviser by way of the primary quarter of 2023 to make sure a easy transition.
Following the information, Molen’s boss, Linda Yaccarino, chairman of NBCUniversal promoting and partnerships, despatched an inside be aware celebrating the outgoing exec, calling her “a fierce advocate for her workforce, her companions and this complete business.”
“As a frontrunner, Laura has constructed groups and mentored expertise to make our division stronger,” Yaccarino wrote. “And she or he’s been simply as dedicated to our companions, representing the company perspective in each single room.”
Heading up upfront talks since 2019
Molen was named president of NBCUniversal promoting gross sales and partnerships, alongside Mark Marshall, in October 2018. In her function, she led strategic company relationships and oversees key promoting gross sales initiatives for NBCUniversal throughout leisure, Hispanic, information, Peacock, direct-to-scale and syndication.
Earlier this week, NBCUniversal introduced its return to upfront week on Could 15 at Radio Metropolis Music Corridor. This would be the first upfront with out Molen on the helm since she and Marshall started overseeing negotiations in 2019. The pair have been joined by Krishan Bhatia, president and chief enterprise officer of worldwide promoting and partnerships, to go up the 2021 and 2022 negotiations.
Within the short-term, Bhatia and Marshall are anticipated to divvy up Molen’s duties, in keeping with a supply.
In contrast to a number of latest govt shakeups all through the TV business, together with these at Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery, leaving was solely Molen’s choice.
Amongst her accomplishments, Molen helped introduce Peacock to {the marketplace}, talking with Adweek when the platform turned two in July. In accordance with Molen, she was proudest of the platform placing an emphasis on promoting and prioritizing its companions.
“We’ve been proving that, with Peacock, the most effective premium content material and promoting can actually each stay alongside each other and thrive. And so, I believe if there was one headline, that—to me—is the proudest accomplishment we’ve,” she mentioned.
