Cesar Conde

American media executive
Cesar Conde
Conde at the Knight Foundation in 2013
Born
New York City, New York, U.S.
EducationHarvard University (BA)
University of Pennsylvania (MBA)
SpousePamela Silva (2009–2020)

Cesar Conde is an American media executive currently serving as chairman of the NBCUniversal News Group, overseeing NBC News, MSNBC, and CNBC. Prior to this, Conde was chairman of NBCUniversal International Group and NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises. Before that, he was president of Univision's networks division.

Early life

Cesar Conde was born in New York City and grew up in Miami. His father, Cesar A. Conde, is a cardiologist and an immigrant from Peru, and his mother, Maria Conde, is an immigrant from Cuba. He has two younger brothers, Jorge and Enrique.[1][2]

He graduated from Belen Jesuit Prep, where he played varsity tennis and was named the Athlete of the Year in 1991 and Sportsman of the Year in 1990.[3] He also played tennis while he was a student at Harvard[4] and co-founded the Cuban-American Undergraduate Students Association in 1994.[5] He graduated with honors from Harvard in 1995 and went on to earn an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 1999.[6][7]

Career

Cesar Conde was named Chairman of the NBCUniversal News Group in May 2020.[8] Under Conde's leadership, the NBCU News Group made substantial investments in digital and streaming, became the only news organization to run three major streaming channels,[9][10][11][12] and achieved historic ratings milestones.[13][14][15][16]

Conde is the first Hispanic to lead a major English-language television news organization.[17] He launched the Fifty Percent Challenge, which aims to promote diversity in the newsroom.[17][18] The initiative includes NBCU Academy, a journalism training program for college students. NBCU Academy has relationships with 17 academic institutions and provided $6.5 million in funding to prepare students for a career in journalism.[19][20]

In October 2013, Conde joined NBCUniversal as Executive Vice President to oversee NBCU International and NBCU Digital Enterprises.[21]  Prior to NBCUniversal, Conde was the President of Univision Networks and served in a variety of senior executive capacities at the company.  He is credited with transforming the Spanish-language media company into a leading global, multi-platform media brand.[22] 

Conde served as a White House Fellow for Secretary of State Colin L. Powell from 2002 to 2003.[23] He also worked for StarMedia Network, the first internet company focused on Spanish and Portuguese-speaking audiences globally, and in the Mergers & Acquisitions Group at Salomon Smith Barney.[citation needed]

Conde serves on the board of directors of Walmart (NYSE: WMT) and PepsiCo (NASDAQ: PEP).[24] He is also a Trustee of the Aspen Institute[25] and the Paley Center for Media.[26] Conde is also a board member at the Council on Foreign Relations and a Young Global Leader for the World Economic Forum.[27]

Education initiatives

In 2005 he co-founded the Futuro Program, a non-profit organization that provides role models and educational workshops to Hispanic high school students.[citation needed]

In 2009, Conde spearheaded the launch of Univision's "Es el Momento" (The moment is now) campaign, a comprehensive effort focused on informing the Hispanic community of the importance of education. The campaign received support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, among other sponsors. In March 2011, a Town Hall event with President Barack Obama[28] was organized and broadcast to over 2.7 million viewers[29] around the country.

In May 2011, President Barack Obama announced the appointment of Conde as a member of the President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics[30] and in September 2012, Conde was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Foundation for Excellence in Education[31]

Under Conde's leadership, Telemundo Global Studios (TGS) launched the TGS Fellowship Program, the first-ever premier professional development project for scripted content producers in Hispanic media. It is part of Telemundo Academy, the company's multimedia academic program designed to develop new talent pursuing careers in the media industry starting from the high school age.[32]

Community initiatives

During his time at Univision, Conde led the company to enter into several partnerships that drove national community initiatives and empowerment campaigns. One of these campaigns was "Ya es hora", a historic non-partisan Latino civic participation campaign launched in several phases which encouraged eligible Hispanics to become US Citizens, register to vote and exercise their right to vote.[citation needed]

At Telemundo, Conde was the driving force behind the launch of "El Poder En Ti,"[33] a community platform focusing on three areas of importance to U.S. Hispanics: education (Tu Educación), health (Tu Salud), and finance (Tu Dinero). Telemundo's commitment to empower the Hispanic community was reinforced in March 2019 when "Hazte Contar," or "Get Counted," was added under the umbrella of "El Poder en Ti." The campaign seeks to increase participation in the upcoming elections and 2020 Census, which will help improve quality of life through a fair distribution of federal funds.[34]

Conde spearheaded the development of Univision's first ever Teletón USA event, a 28-hour coast-to-coast televised fundraising event that exceeded expectations by raising over 15 million dollars. All proceeds went to help families in the U.S. and toward the construction of the first "Centro de Rehabilitación Infantil Teletón" (CRIT) which will be based in San Antonio, Texas.[citation needed]

Organizations

  • Walmart Board of Directors[35]
  • PepsiCo Board of Directors[36]
  • Aspen Institute, Board of Trustees[37]
  • Council on Foreign Relations, Full Member[38]
  • The Paley Center for Media, Board of Trustees[39]
  • Aspen Institute, Henry Crown Fellow[40]

Recognitions

Conde is the recipient of numerous awards for his efforts on behalf of the Hispanic community as well as his personal achievements. In 2012, Cesar Conde was one of 192 young leaders from 59 countries recognized by the World Economic Forum for their outstanding leadership, professional accomplishments and commitment to society.

  • 2018 Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame honoree[41]
  • 2018 National Association of Television Programming Executives Brandon Tartikoff Legacy Award
  • 2017: Center for Communication Frank Stanton Award[42]
  • 2017: Sponsors for Educational Opportunity Alumni Award
  • Cablefax Most Influential Minorities – 2012,[43] 2013,[44] 2014,[45] 2015,[46] 2016[47] 2017, and 2018
  • Cablefax 100 – 2012,[48] 2013,[49] 2014,[50] 2015,[51] 2016[52] 2017, 2018, and 2019
  • 2016: Award for Executive Leadership in Hispanic Television & Video from Multichannel News and Broadcasting & Cable.
  • 2012: T. Howard Foundation Executive Leadership Award[53]
  • 2012: World Economic Forum Young Global Leader[54]
  • 2010 Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF) Alumni Hall of Fame[55]
  • 2009,[56] '10,[57] '11,[58] '12:[59] "40 Under 40", Fortune Magazine
  • 2009: Next Generation Leader Award, National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications (NAMIC)
  • 2008, '09, '10, '12:[60] "Most influential Hispanics in the US", PODER Magazine
  • 2007 Young Hispanic Corporate Achiever Award, Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR)
  • Young Leader Award, Cuban-American National Council
  • U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation Award

Ronna McDaniel hiring

On March 22, 2024, it was announced that NBC had hired the former head of the Republican National Committee, Ronna Romney McDaniel. On March 26, 2024, due to widespread outcries over McDaniel's role in attempting to overturn the 2020 election of Joe Biden, including from high profile MSNBC anchors and NBC's Chuck Todd, Conde sent an email to NBC and MSNBC staff saying the network had decided to drop McDaniel.[61][62][63]

Personal life

Conde married Univision News Anchor Pamela Silva Conde, a native of Peru, in 2009.[64] They divorced in 2020.[65]

The Conde Media Center at Belen Jesuit Prep, his high school alma mater, is named for his parents, Drs. Maria and Cesar Conde.

References

  1. ^ Loizos, Connie. "Andreessen Horowitz gets a new general partner in Jorge Conde | TechCrunch". Retrieved 2017-08-09.
  2. ^ Yendi (2023-04-24). "Cesar Conde, 2023 Excellence Award Honoree". FACE. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
  3. ^ "Cesar Conde '91 - Belen Sports HOF Class of 2012". wolverines.belenjesuit.org. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  4. ^ "A Rough Road Ahead for Netmen | Sports | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  5. ^ "First Harvard Cuban-American Alumni Conference Convenes | News | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
  6. ^ "Men's Tennis to Host Trailblazers in News Media Webinar with Cesar Conde '95, Jill Abramson '76 and Peter Lattman '92". Harvard University. 2021-02-02. Archived from the original on 2021-02-22.
  7. ^ "Broadcaster with a Broader Mission". Wharton Magazine. 2012. Archived from the original on 2021-09-17.
  8. ^ Johnson, Jill Goldsmith,Ted; Goldsmith, Jill; Johnson, Ted (2020-05-04). "NBCUniversal Restructures: Mark Lazarus To Oversee TV And Streaming; NBC News Boss Andy Lack Exits, With Cesar Conde To Head Combined News Operation". Deadline. Archived from the original on 2020-05-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. ^ Fischer, Sara. "NBC News adding 200+ jobs as part of major streaming push". Axios. Retrieved 2021-09-23.
  10. ^ Kotuby, Jeff. "Peacock Adds New Free "Dateline 24/7" Channel to Streaming Service". The Streamable. Retrieved 2021-09-23.
  11. ^ "NBCUniversal's Peacock Launches Meet the Press Reports". adweek.it. Retrieved 2021-09-23.
  12. ^ Low, Elaine (2021-01-11). "Peacock to Debut Millennial-Focused News Show 'The Overview,' Hosted By NBC News' Gadi Schwartz (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on 2021-01-11.
  13. ^ "2020 Ratings: MSNBC Sets Network Records; Ranks No. 2 in Total Viewers, But No. 3 Among Adults 25-54". adweek.it. Retrieved 2021-09-23.
  14. ^ "13.4 MILLION VIEWERS TUNE INTO NBC NEWS AND MSNBC'S "DECISION 2020" ELECTION NIGHT COVERAGE". 2020. Archived from the original on 2020-11-04.
  15. ^ Thorne, Will (2020-10-23). "TV Ratings: Final Trump-Biden Debate Down 10 Million Viewers From First". Variety. Retrieved 2021-09-23.
  16. ^ "CNBC Digital Has Record Year in 2020". CNBC. 2021-01-19. Archived from the original on 2021-01-19.
  17. ^ a b Mullin, Benjamin (2021-04-26). "WSJ News Exclusive | NBC's News Chief Pushes Streaming and Bets on Post-Trump Story Lines". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660.
  18. ^ "NBC News sets goal of a workforce that is half minority". AP NEWS. 2021-04-21. Archived from the original on 2021-09-17.
  19. ^ Steinberg, Brian (2021-01-14). "NBCU News Group Teams With Colleges to Spur Diversity in TV Newsrooms". Variety. Retrieved 2021-09-23.
  20. ^ Johnson, Ted (2021-06-16). "NBCU Academy and NBC News Studios Tap Seven Filmmaker Projects For Documentary Fellowships". Deadline. Retrieved 2021-09-23.
  21. ^ Johnson, Jill Goldsmith,Ted; Goldsmith, Jill; Johnson, Ted (2020-05-04). "NBCUniversal Restructures: Mark Lazarus To Oversee TV And Streaming; NBC News Boss Andy Lack Exits, With Cesar Conde To Head Combined News Operation". Deadline. Retrieved 2021-09-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  22. ^ Vega, Tanzina (2012-12-02). "A Spate of Rebranding for Spanish-Language TV". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331.
  23. ^ "The Fellows". White House Fellows Foundation and Association. Archived from the original on 2020-08-08.
  24. ^ "PepsiCo Elects Cesar Conde to Company's Board of Directors". PepsiCo, Inc. Official Website. 2016-03-04. Archived from the original on 2020-01-15.
  25. ^ "Six Leaders Elected to Aspen Institute Board of Trustees". The Aspen Institute. 2012-04-16. Archived from the original on 2018-09-10.
  26. ^ "The Paley Center for Media Appoints New Members to Board of Trustees". www.paleycenter.org. 4 June 2014. Retrieved 2021-09-23.
  27. ^ "World Economic Forum Announces Young Global Leaders for 2012" (PDF). 2012-03-06. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-09-23.
  28. ^ "Es el Momento", a Townhall meeting with President Obama
  29. ^ More Than 2.7 Million Tune In To Univision's Landmark Education Town Hall With President Barack Obama Archived April 1, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  30. ^ President Obama Announces Members of the President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics
  31. ^ Board of Directors - Foundation for Excellence in Education
  32. ^ "Telemundo Global Studios introduced the inaugural class of its TGS Fellowship Program". PRODU.COM (in Spanish). 20 August 2019. Retrieved 2020-01-23.
  33. ^ Telemundo Launches "El Poder En Ti"
  34. ^ "Home". Hazte Contar. Retrieved 2020-01-23.
  35. ^ "Leadership". Corporate - US. Archived from the original on 2020-11-19. Retrieved 2020-01-23.
  36. ^ PepsiCo Board of Directors
  37. ^ Six Leaders Elected to Aspen Institute Board of Trustees
  38. ^ "Membership Roster - Council on Foreign Relations". Archived from the original on 2011-08-03. Retrieved 2012-12-10.
  39. ^ Board of Trustees | The Paley Center for Media
  40. ^ 2004 Infin8 Class | The Aspen Institute
  41. ^ "B&C Announces Hall of Fame Class of 2018". 30 April 2018.
  42. ^ "Cesar Conde to Get Frank Stanton Award from Center for Communication". 26 June 2017.
  43. ^ "Most Influential Minorities 2012".
  44. ^ "Most Influential Minorities 2013".
  45. ^ "Most Influential Minorities 2014".
  46. ^ "Most Influential Minorities 2015".
  47. ^ "Most Influential Minorities 2016".
  48. ^ "CableFAX 100 2012".
  49. ^ "CableFAX 100 2013".
  50. ^ "CableFAX 100 2014".
  51. ^ "CableFAX 100 2015".
  52. ^ "CableFAX 100 2016".
  53. ^ "News".
  54. ^ World Economic Forum Announces Young Global Leaders for 2012 Archived March 26, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  55. ^ "ALUMNI HALL OF FAME 2010 INDUCTEES". Archived from the original on 2011-01-22. Retrieved 2011-04-14.
  56. ^ 2009 40 under 40 - Cesar Conde (13)
  57. ^ 2010 40 under 40 - Cesar Conde (12)
  58. ^ 2011 40 under 40 - Cesar Conde (14)
  59. ^ 2012 40 under 40 - Cesar Conde (13)
  60. ^ PODER Magazine - Most influential Hispanics in the US[permanent dead link]
  61. ^ Fischer, Sara (2024-03-27). "Ronna McDaniel out at NBC News following backlash". Axios. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  62. ^ Barr, Jeremy. "NBC reverses decision to hire Ronna McDaniel after on-air backlash". washingtonpost.com. The Washington Post.
  63. ^ Bauder, Jeremy. "NBC has cut ties with former RNC head Ronna McDaniel after employee objections, some on the air". apnews.com. Associated Press.
  64. ^ "Pregnant Univision Presenter Pamela Silva Files for Divorce from Telemundo President César Conde". www.msn.com. Retrieved 2020-10-27.
  65. ^ "Pamela Silva talks giving birth in a pandemic. Still no mention of the baby's father". Miami Herald. 7 July 2020.

External links

  • NBCUniversal Profile