Over a four-decade career at ABC News and CNN, Entelis has built a reputation for spotting, nurturing and elevating talent while also shaping entire content brands. In June, she helped CNN make history by leading a presentation of “Good Night, and Good Luck,” the first Broadway performance to be televised live. Since 2012, Entelis has acquired, commissioned or executive produced more than 70 feature and short films for CNN Films, 40% of which were directed by women.
With all the buzz around AI and automation, what’s one “human” skill you think will only grow more valuable? Being able to cook dinner.
The industry is transforming quickly—how are you preparing your teams (or yourself) for what’s next? The industry’s evolving fast, so we’re focused on staying curious, agile, and audience-first. I’m preparing my teams by encouraging experimentation—new formats, new voices, new ways to tell nonfiction stories—while keeping CNN’s journalistic integrity at the core.
What current cultural moment reminds you why visibility for women leaders still matters? Working on our CNN film “Prime Minister” was a reminder for me about why visibility matters. Stories like Jacinda Ardern’s expand our sense of what leadership can look like—and who gets to lead—especially when kindness and empathy are at the core.
What’s a piece of advice you ignored that you’re glad you did in hindsight? I was told I should start my career in a small market and work my way back to a major news organization. While I would have loved living somewhere entirely new, the choice to stay in national news early meant I witnessed consequential change in the business in real time. Those experiences were irreplaceable—and shaped my entire career.