Sherry Brennan - VP, Sales Strategy & Development, Fox Cable Networks

Sherry Brennan is currently the Vice President, Sales Strategy & Development for Fox Cable Networks, based in Los Angeles.  In this role, Sherry and her team work with FCN’s affiliate sales team to incorporate network, distributor and company strategic goals into the affiliate sales process.  Sherry’s group is also responsible for distribution in the lodging and out-of-home markets, and is part of the team that evaluates channels for potential launch or acquisition.  She consults with many internal groups regarding licensing activities, including Fox Interactive Media, Fox Mobile Entertainment, and News One.

Sherry has nearly 20 years of experience in the cable TV business.  Prior to Fox, Sherry worked for Cablevision in Bethpage, NY managing Cablevision’s PPV and VOD businesses, and also spent seven years as a strategic analyst to the COO of Falcon Cable TV in Los Angeles.  Sherry has a Master’s Degree in Economics and is a member of Class VI of the Betsy Magness Leadership Institute.  She is married to filmmaker and musician Raymond De Felitta, with whom she has one son, Lorenzo, age 3½.  Sherry is currently the President of the Southern California Chapter of WICT, and served as the New York Chapter’s President in 2001.  She is passionate about mentoring, clear communication, and excellent decision-making.

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Jennifer Gaiski - SVP of Content Acquisition, Comcast

Jennifer Gaiski has been acquiring and selling programming within the cable industry for more than 14 years. She joined Comcast in 1997 as Programming Manager.  Over the last 11 years, she has played a key role in helping shape the company’s video offering as Comcast has grown from an MSO serving 2.7 million customers to the nation’s leading provider of cable, entertainment and communications products and services for more than 24.0 million customers.

In 2007, Jen was promoted to Senior Vice President, Content Acquisition. In this role, she oversees the department’s $6 billion dollar content acquisition budget, negotiates and administers programming contracts, coordinates field operations and communications, and oversees management of Comcast’s joint venture partnerships with Bresnan, Mid Continent Cable and US Cable.  Jen has twice been listed as one of the Top 50 Most Influential Women in Cable by Cable World Magazine.

Before joining Comcast, Jen was among the first Regional Directors of Affiliate Sales to join Fox News Channel and was an integral part of their nationwide launch in October 1996.

Jen has served on the Board of the Women in Cable and Telecommunications (WICT) Philadelphia Chapter for the last six years.  In 2004, she graduated from the Betsy Magness Leadership Institute (BMLI) Class X, WICT’s flagship executive leadership program.   In 1999, she participated in Comcast’s inaugural Executive Leadership Forum (ELF) program.  Since then, she has actively taken part in Comcast’s mentoring program for current attendees of the Fundamentals of Leadership (FOL) and ELF program. 

She holds an MBA from Drexel University and a BS in Marketing and Business Logistics from The Pennsylvania State University at University Park, Pennsylvania.

Jen, her husband and their daughter, Cadence, live in Devon, PA.

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Sharon Pinkenson – Executive Director of the Greater Philadelphia Film Office

Sharon Pinkenson has served as the Executive Director of the Greater Philadelphia Film for 16 years during the terms of three mayors. She is responsible for all aspects of the office, founded in 1985. On July 1, 1992, she successfully spun off the municipal film office as a multi-county driving force for economic development, a non-profit corporation that has generated more than two billion dollars during her tenure.

Ms. Pinkenson markets the City of Philadelphia and the surrounding region to the film, video, and television industry, and coordinates every aspect of production from cast and crew, support businesses and locations to community relations, and government services and incentives, while enhancing the region’s reputation internationally on both the big and small screen. She also directs local goods and services to productions; publishes the Greater Philadelphia Film & Video Guide, the astoundingly popular website film.org, and advocates for the growth of Philadelphia’s indigenous film community through the Greater Philadelphia Filmmakers program.

A lifelong Philadelphian, Ms. Pinkenson graduated from the Philadelphia High School for Girls and Temple University. Throughout her career Sharon has remained an important and recognizable figure in the Philadelphia community. In addition to her numerous memberships in professional organizations, she serves on Boards at Temple University School of Communications and Theater, Drexel University’s Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design (from which she received a Doctor of Humane Letters, causa honoris), Big Picture Alliance, “Philly’s More Fun Alliance,” Diamondscreen: a Temple University School of Communications and Theater student film festival, the advisory board of the Wagner Free Institute of Science and is the Founding Producer for the Prince Music Theater’s Film at the Prince-The Sharon Pinkenson Film Project. She was also named by Dunkin™ Donuts and the Philadelphia Eagles as one of the 75 Greatest Living Philadelphians.

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Kiera Hynninen - SVP, Marketing, National Geographic Channel

Kiera Hynninen has more than 18 years of experience in the fields of marketing, branding and strategy, having promoted such recognized brands as Kraft Foods, Holiday Inn and The Weather Channel.  She brings her effective leadership and management expertise to the National Geographic Channel (NGC) as Senior Vice President of Marketing.

At NGC, Hynninen manages all aspects of the Channel’s marketing team, including Media Strategy and Planning, Creative, Ad Sales Marketing, Consumer Marketing, Digital Marketing, and Partnership Marketing.

In January 2004, she was instrumental in launching NGC’s Dare-to-Explore campaign and has seen the network experience record ratings and growth.  In fall 2004, as the Channel launched its largest number of premieres, Hynninen led the development and execution of the network’s most comprehensive marketing strategy to date.  Hynninen has continued leading her team in developing innovative marketing strategies which over the past two years have resulted in the network’s highest-rated specials, Inside 9/11 and The Gospel of Judas, and the network’s highest-rated series, Dog Whisperer.

Prior to joining the National Geographic Channel in June 2003, Hynninen served as Vice President and Senior Vice President of Strategic Marketing at The Weather Channel.  During her four-year tenure, she played a key role in launching the network’s first-ever stripped series, “Storm Stories,” which increased the network’s ratings 50 percent in its time period.  In addition, she led the launch of the company’s first subscription Web product, as well as its rebranding and promotional strategies, which continue to be utilized today.

From 1997 to 1999, Hynninen served as Director of Marketing for InterContinental Hotels Group, developing and implementing a new positioning campaign for Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express.  Additionally, she oversaw promotional development for the company’s 1998 Super Bowl campaign.

Hynninen started her marketing career at Kraft Foods.  While at Kraft, she created strategic corporate presentations for upper-level management and helped drive brand awareness and revitalization efforts for Kraft Foods products such as Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, Athenos Feta & Hummus Products and Minute Rice.

Hynninen holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Richmond.  She served as Treasurer and marketing co-chair for the Women in Cable & Telecommunications (WICT) Washington/Baltimore chapter and graduated in 2005 from WICT’s Betsy Magness Leadership Institute.  Hynninen is co-chair of CTAM Marketing Council and serves as a steering committee member with Ad Week D.C.  Hynninen resides in Washington, D.C., and can be found collecting antiques, traveling and renovating her home in her free time.

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