Oh, the
Humanity!
Stealing the Crown
Charisse Lillie
(pictured)
Title: SVP, human resourc-
es, Comcast Cable
Mae Douglas
Title: SVP/Chief People
Officer, Cox
Henry Schleiff
(If this was a real picture, which it's
not, Henry would be on the left)
Title: President/CEO, Crown
Media Holdings
Age: 59
Ed Durso
EVP, administration, ESPN
Why Them? The person who heads human
resources at your company deals daily with the
personnel shuffles, delicate situations, and unforeseen headaches of a given workplace. Lillie and
Douglas always win high marks. And while human
resources is only part of Durso's vast sphere of
influence at ESPN, his daily attention to the net's
5,000 employees remains strong despite his many
other duties. In any event, these three standouts
are tireless in their efforts and represent their many
industry brethren who, quite simply, aren’t recognized enough. CAO
Why him? P. T. Barnum has nothing on Henry Schleiff. Right now, the master salesman is pitching his
Hallmark Channel as cable's miracle elixir—a family friendly net that
even FCC chairman Kevin Martin could swallow. It's a calculated move,
aimed at getting FCC-plagued operators to shell out higher affiliate fees
for Hallmark. And with programming EVP David Kenin minding the fam-ily-friendly store, Schleiff has plenty of confidence. At the same time,
Schleiff's on his stump telling everyone in earshot that the network's not
for sale, but, gosh-darn, it's such an amazing deal with its stellar ratings
that he wouldn't be shocked if someone snatched it up and used it in
a tying arrangement to bolster demands for cash. In other words—get
in while the getting is good, folks. And maybe he has a point—look at
Oxygen. With contract renewals up for the bulk of Hallmark's sub base
this year, Schleiff and his savvy svp, network distribution Janice Arouh
have gotten a few big names to step right up. EchoStar, Mediacom and
NCTC. And he also just hooked the biggest fish, which might explain
Schleiff's unnatural obsession with Brian Roberts. AM
PHOTO ILLuSTRATION
Charisse R. Lillie Top personal achievement in 2007: “Serving as one of the co-chairs of the NAMIC annual conference.” Mae
Douglas What profession other than yours
would like to attempt? “Interior Decorating” Ed
Durso Cable’s biggest challenge in 2008
is: “Holding the line on a la carte.”
59
Geraldine Laybourne
Title: Chairman/CEO, Oxygen
Age: 60
Years in Industry: 31
Deep Breath
Why Her? If Jeff Zucker can bank on cable legend
Laybourne, that’s good enough for us. NBC’s $925 million
purchase of Oxygen Media dislodges one of the last “major
indies” but also leaves a pair of gargantuan—and surely
very stylish—shoes to fill when Gerry’s successor is named.
The matriarch of cable programming, this perpetual “it” girl
had the panache to keep shaking things up in 2007 even
as she pondered the next chapter in her indelible industry
career. After being an early proponent of original VOD content, Oxygen was also among the first to launch its own
social network. This year, surrounded by her stellar executive
team including Debby Beece, Lisa Gersh and Mary Murano,
Laybourne unleashed the first-ever cable upfront, offering an
unheard-of January preview. Always
game to lend her name—and irreverence—to cable causes, Laybourne
remains on the boards of NCTA and
Insight. She finds time to shout out
for other cherished causes, too.
Laybourne recently hosted a suc-
cessful Mentors Walk on the National
Mall in D.C., and she’s heading a team of media elite in support of Hilary Clinton’s presidential campaign. Something tells
us she's not slowing down. CAO
Defining career moment: “Meeting Brian Roberts.”
Person I most admire in the cable industry and why: “Brian
Roberts; his humor, his warmth, his 24 million subs.” Biggest cable
surprise of 2007: “How tall Brian Roberts is.” Favorite Movie:
“Brian’s Song” My perfect vacation goes like this: “Brian, me…”
My most embarrassing cable moment was: “At the Kaitz dinner,
in the bathroom stall next to me, Brian Roberts…”
What is your favorite word? “Yes” What is your least
favorite word? “Hot” What turns you on? “Smart,
sassy wit.” What turns you off? “Pompous asses” What
profession other than yours would like to attempt?
“Politics” What profession would you not like to participate in? “Banking”
