Comcast has unveiled the expected members of the first board of directors of Versant Media Group from the worlds of media, tech and finance including NBCUniversal’s Mark Lazarus, who will lead the new company and Rebecca Campbell, the former chairman of International Content and Operations at Disney.
As previously announced, David Novak, a longstanding board member of Comcast and former CEO of Yum! Brands, will serve as Chairman.
Publicly traded Versant will include USA Network, CNBC, MSNBC, Oxygen, E!, SYFY and Golf Channel, along with complementary digital assets Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, GolfNow and SportsEngine.
Lazarus is chairman of NBCUniversal Media Group, overseing the company’s TV and Streaming platforms, distribution and monetization. Previously, Mr. Lazarus served as Chairman of NBCUniversal Television and Streaming as well as Chairman of NBCUniversal Broadcast, Entertainment and Lifestyle Group, Sports and News. Under Mr. Lazarus’ leadership, the company expanded its many successful brands in sports, news and entertainment, including in primetime, late-night and across the entire NBC Sports portfolio.
Campbell is the former Chairman of International Content and Operations at The Walt Disney Company. After spending over two decades within Walt Disney Co. and having served as a Board Member of Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI), Ms. Campbell continues to display her proficiency in navigating the evolving landscape of the entertainment industry as the Interim Chief Executive Officer and Board Member of Meow Wolf, a leading arts and entertainment company known for its immersive multimedia experiences and large-scale interactive art installations. Additionally, she is involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles, serving first as a board member and now as a trustee.
The other directors include Creighton Condon is Of Counsel at the global law firm of A&O Shearman. He previously served as Shearman & Sterling’s Senior Partner, European Managing Partner and Global Mergers and Acquisitions Practice Group Leader. He advises clients on mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and joint ventures and counsels boards of directors and special committees on governance matters, change of control transactions, shareholder activism and complex structural issues. Condon also serves as Chairman of the Board of One to World, a non-profit organization advancing international understanding in the Fulbright tradition.
Michael Conwayis the former CEO of Starbucks North Americaand a seasoned veteran driving growth in consumer-packaged goods and retail industries. Prior to joining Starbucks, he worked at Johnson & Johnson, serving as worldwide President of McNeil Nutritional, and Campbell Soup Company, serving as Vice President for the Adult Simple Meals Division of the Campbell Soup Company. For the past ten years, Mr. Conway has served as a Board Director at McCormick.
David Eun is a Founding Advisor to Kanza AI, a generative AI company focused on health, wellness and medicine. He is also Co-Founder of Alakai Group, an investment firm. Previously, Mr. Eun served as President and Chief Innovation Officer of Samsung Electronics, where he founded Samsung NEXT, an innovation group focused on startup investments, M&A and new business creation. He began his career at NBC and later held senior leadership roles at Google, YouTube and Time Warner. He serves on the Board of Directors of Howard Hughes Holdings Inc.
Gerald L. Hassellis the former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation. During his career at BNY, Mr. Hassell had direct management responsibility for the company’s broad range of banking and investment services businesses, including asset servicing and issuer, broker-dealer, treasury and clearing services, as well as operations and technology. He is a former director of Comcast and MetLife.
Scott Mahoneyis the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Peter Millar LLC. Prior to acquiring the golf apparel company in partnership with Sea Island Company, Mr. Mahoney gained insight into the golf and specialty store industry while working at Polo Ralph Lauren. There, he established a strong foundation for his later extensive background in brand development. Mr. Mahoney is also on the board of directors of Fleet Feet, a running-inspired company founded in 1976.
Maritza Montielis the former Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Vice Chairman of Deloitte & Touche LLP’s U.S. Business. Ms. Montiel’s client base ranged across various industries in both the commercial and federal sectors. Prior to her appointment as Deputy CEO, she led the firm’s U.S. regions and was tasked with managing the design and implementation of Deloitte University, the firm’s leadership development center and the largest single investment in the firm’s history. For the past ten years, Ms. Montiel has served on the Board of Directors at McCormick. She is currently on the Board of Directors for Royal Caribbean Group and a former director of Comcast and APTAR.
Len Potter founded Wildcat Capital Management, LLC, a registered investment advisor, and has served as its President and Chief Investment Officer since inception. Mr. Potter has also served as a founder and senior managing director of Vida Ventures, a biotech venture fund, since its inception. He has extensive experience as a Board Director and has served or continues to serve on a number of boards, including Hilton Grand Vacations Inc., SLR Investment Corp. and SuRo Capital Corporation.
“I am pleased to welcome this accomplished forward-looking team to our future Board of Directors,” Novak said. “Their collective expertise and perspectives will strengthen our governance and support Versant’s future success.”
“The announcement of the future Board marks a critical milestone as we define our long-term strategy and advance the value of our iconic media portfolio,” said Lazarus. “I look forward to collaborating with this distinguished group as we establish a leading independent media company.”
