In this issue: 

• Now Accepting Applications for the Betsy Magness Leadership Institute
• Registration Now Open for Spring 2023 Executive Leadership Presence (ELP) Program
• Signature Awards Luncheon Presented in Partnership With the Motion Picture Association
• Save the Date for Our Senior Executive Summit at Stanford (Participation by invitation only)
• Words of Wisdom From Our Women of the Year
• CommScope: Embracing Diversity, Promoting Inclusivity, Inspiring Connectivity
• Now Available on Demand: Beyond the Hashtag Webinar #InvisibleLoad
• Stay in the Know with Cablefax Daily
• Let's network! Follow and like us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter

Now Accepting Applications for the Betsy Magness Leadership Institute — Apply by February 1!

The Betsy Magness Leadership Institute (BMLI) is a highly sought-after opportunity that accelerates career success by developing executive leadership skills, offering unmatched industry networking and the capacity to create more inclusive workplace cultures.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

• VP or Senior Director level, and above, or equivalency thereof
• At least 8 years of executive management experience
• Substantive work experience and significant direct accomplishments
• Approved and supported by senior management for participation in BMLI
• Current member of The WICT Network

While participants are from diverse backgrounds, they each demonstrate common attributes, including a commitment to new ideas, an affinity for calculated risk taking, and support for the development of other women within their companies and across the media, entertainment and technology landscapes.

Registration Now Open for Spring 2023 Executive Leadership Presence (ELP) Program

Dates: April 12-13, 2023

Location: Savannah, GA

The Executive Leadership Presence (ELP) program, part of The WICT Network's Executive Development Series (EDS), empowers participants to develop their leadership presence as a means to inspire confidence, engage and influence others, and maintain productivity while increasing visibility and career mobility. This two-day program will introduce participants to a unique framework and toolkit of 12 specific attributes, skills and thought processes that work together to help them build knowledge and expertise.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

• Mid-career professional at Senior Manager, Director or VP level, or equivalency thereof
• At least 8 years of professional experience
• Current member of The WICT Network

The ELP program will be offered twice in 2023. Can't join us in April? Plan to join us instead for the fall 2023 session, October 11-12 in San Diego, CA. Registration will open later in 2023.

2023 Signature Awards Luncheon Will Be Presented in Partnership With the Motion Picture Association

Date: Tuesday, May 2, 2023

Location: Beverly Wilshire Hotel - Four Seasons, Los Angeles, CA

The WICT Network has formed a strategic partnership with the Motion Picture Association (MPA) in support of the 2023 Signature Awards Luncheon. The luncheon will take place in Los Angeles, California, marking the first time the event has been held on the West Coast in over a decade. The partnership with the MPA underscores The WICT Network’s dedication to fortifying its new, more inclusive name and brand. The luncheon’s new West Coast location will allow greater accessibility to entertainment and technology professionals — a critical and growing sector of The WICT Network. Read our December 13 press release to learn more and be sure to save the date on your calendar to join us for the luncheon!

Save the Date for Our Senior Executive Summit at Stanford University

*By invitation only*

Dates: June 11 – 14, 2023

Location: Knight Management Center, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA

The WICT Network Senior Executive Summit is an invitation-only learning opportunity designed exclusively for top-ranking women in media, entertainment and technology. Presented in collaboration with the Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB), this master class program combines the power of The WICT Network’s proven leadership development programs with the excellence of Stanford’s top-rated business school.

The four-day summit gathers the industry’s most accomplished women to focus on issues relevant to strategic leadership and executive-level development. 

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

• Candidate is among the highest-ranking leaders within her company
• Candidate has at least 15 years of executive management experience
• Candidate is Senior Vice President to C-suite title, or equivalency thereof

This is an invitation-only program. Please reach out to Jason Brown, AVP of Program Operations, at jbrown@wict.org if you are unsure of your eligibility or are eligible and wish to receive an invitation to attend. 

Our 2022 Women of the Year and Women to Watch are paving the way for tomorrow’s generation of leaders. Below, each of them weigh in with insights and lessons learned from their respective leadership journeys.

Colleen Langner, Executive Vice President & Chief Operations Officer at Cox Communications, 2022 Woman of the Year – Operator

"I've been fortunate to work with many fantastic leaders during my career. Keeping consumer needs at the root of your decisions was one of the lessons I learned early on. As a leader, you’re faced with choices that impact customers, teams, and the business. Staying close to the customer has been my solid North Star. I’ve also found that confidence and being an engaged leader who is curious and asks the tough questions is imperative to driving change. Building an inclusive team with diversity of thought and experiences has been foundational as well. There’s nothing better than when debate turns into action. Lastly, as a leader, you have to have heart and show compassion. Being vulnerable builds trust and enables teams to see your optimism and vision for the future."

Wonya Lucas, President and Chief Executive Officer, Hallmark Media, 2022 Woman of the Year – Programmer

"I understood my strengths and weaknesses very early in life. I was taught to recognize, leverage and to be proud of my strengths. Growing up in the South, I was also taught that I could be underestimated because I was a young, Black woman, but it was imperative that I was true to myself and all that I was and could be. I was also reminded of my weaknesses. Through my parents, I learned the art of leveraging self-examination and vulnerability to set goals and gain the knowledge and hustle necessary to achieve them. Today as a leader, I think of myself as a teacher and a coach. I look for the best positional 'players' that have infinite possibilities in terms of their breadth of skills, opportunities, and drive. I have worked and do work with some of the most brilliant people in the industry, and they know that by putting the team first, you can win and be successful."

Shannon Atkinson, Regional Vice President, Field Operations – West Region, Charter Communications, 2022 Woman to Watch – Operator

"Our industry is constantly growing and continues to evolve every year, so it’s crucial to maintain relationships and make new connections with others working in this business. Actively participating in professional development groups such as The WICT Network — either by serving as a board member or by mentoring others — has provided incredible value over the years and helped me engage with [a diverse group of] men and women in our industry. While I worked in Ohio and North Carolina, the local chapters offered strong networks of people that I could share my experiences with and allowed me to help others along the way. Our industry also offers many leadership courses and development programs through organizations such as The WICT Network, NCTI and SCTE. In addition to networking opportunities, these classes have helped me stay on top of current trends and grow with the business. Building a network requires being proactive and self-motivation. It you put in the effort, you will find that our industry is vast and full of welcoming people willing to share their knowledge and experiences."

Lisa Williams-Fauntroy, SVP, Business & Legal Affairs, Warner Bros. Discovery, 2022 Woman to Watch – Programmer



"I use a few approaches to help my team stay motivated and help them overcome fears. For example, as a leader I try to remain positive even in the most difficult times. This doesn’t mean I ignore the challenges or fears or uncertainties facing us; in fact, it’s just the opposite. I openly discuss and acknowledge the issues that are difficult. I think turning a blind eye to the 'elephant in the room' or side stepping a difficult topic distances leaders from their teams. And while remaining positive is hard, exuding negativity is uninspiring and counterproductive. Another approach I use to help my team stay motivated is to remind people to focus on what each of us as individuals and as a team can control because that‘s where we can have the most positive and impactful influence. Lastly, while my team may find it silly, I like to share quotes with them to take us out of our own heads and ground us through the words of others. The right quotes can be inspirational, thought provoking and can give you a small anchor to come back to when needed."

Urvi Shah, VP, Global Key Account Marketing, CommScope, 2022 Woman to Watch – Technology

"The most important lesson learned from my mentor is the art of listening. Listening not only to the words spoken, but also observing the body language and connecting to what someone is feeling. A good mentor will probe for information to get a clear picture of the mentee’s situation. Asking the right questions, can sometimes help the mentee develop their own solutions. Other times, a mentor needs to be more involved, for example offer to review materials or the approach or help connect the mentee to others that can provide support. Taking the time to listen and provide encouragement, will ultimately build trust and create a more effective and rewarding relationship for both the mentor and mentee."

CommScope’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion continues to be a central focus throughout our company. CommScope created the DIBN (Diversity and Inclusion Business Network) in 2020, which aims to foster an inclusive workplace that embraces diversity. This focus leads to a stronger company by embracing our differences and understanding that our diversity is one of our greatest assets. We believe that a continued focus on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), coupled with our partnership with The WICT Network will continue to keep CommScope, and our employees, on the cutting edge of what is important to create an inclusive environment.

Currently, there are over 1,800 global DIBN members. The governing body, sponsored by two CommScope executives, is championed by a volunteer-based Leadership Council (LC) consisting of 16 leaders. The LC sets the vision and programming for DIBN, with heavy reliance on 80+ DIBN ambassadors who provide DIBN reach across the globe. There is an online portal for members to access DEI resources and DIBN works closely with our Talent and Organization Development group to recruit diverse talent and assists with developing our employees to grow to be inclusive leaders. While CommScope has a holistic approach to diversity and inclusion, we do have a sub-group called RISE, that focuses on early career professionals and their development.

Looking back on 2022, CommScope achieved two significant company-awareness DEI milestones. (Editor's note: Read the full article, linked below, to find out what they were!)

Webinar Now Available on Demand: #InvisibleLoad

On Wednesday, December 14, 2022, we were fortunate to have Eve Rodsky, bestselling author of Fair Play: A Game-Changing Solution for When You Have Too Much to Do (and More Life to Live) and Find Your Unicorn Space: Reclaim Your Creative Life in a Too-Busy World, and Maryann Balbo, Group Vice President, Cox Media, lead the #InvisibleLoad webinar as part of our #BeyondtheHashtag series.

The "invisible load" can be described as the time and energy spent on tasks outside the workplace — things like child and elder care and the mental work of managing a family. In our discussion, Rodsky pulled research from her novels to describe how:

• Using boundaries can be a game-changer in redefining your workplace
• Implementing systems and communications can create a more equitable environment
• A dose of creativity can curb burnout

Rodsky and Balbo engaged in an informative Q&A discussion that left attendees eager to share their own invisible load experiences in the webinar chat. Rodsky's closing remarks inspired participants to practice balance and communication in their lives: "The only antidote to burnout is being consistently interested in your own life," she said.

The WICT Network gratefully acknowledges the Beyond the Hashtag Series Platinum Sponsor

Cablefax Magazine: Most Powerful Women 2022 Issue

Cablefax Magazine annually recognizes the industry’s top-performing women executives, across a wide-range of job functions, for their contributions to their companies and the industry as a whole.

The WICT Network congratulates its President & CEO Maria E. Brennan, CAE, and Julie Laulis, President & CEO of Cable One, who were honored with 2022 Women’s Advancement Champion awards and the many other impressive women in the industry who Cablefax reports have "smashed through the glass ceiling and are lifting up others to join them at the top."

Check out the December issue of Cablefax Magazine to read about the year's most powerful women and their accomplishments and subscribe to Cablefax Daily to stay in the know about the industry issues affecting the cable, broadband, and digital markets.

Follow @WICTHQ on social media (we’re active on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram) for the latest news on gender diversity in the workplace, leadership development and productivity tips, programming updates, and diversity, equity and inclusion data.

Below are sample posts from LinkedIn (left) and Twitter (right). Make sure to follow us online for more valuable tips and updates.