Comings & Goings

Gregory Resh
Joining NBCUniversal’s Hispanic Enterprises and Content executive team is Gregory M. Resh. Before coming to NBCU in May of 2012, Resh was director of finance for Comcast Corporation’s Mid-Atlantic region. Working closely with Telemundo Stations group, Resh will now commandeer financial analyses and accounting at the Telemundo network, studios, international division and the cable channel mun2. Devoted to his work team and sports teams, Resh is an avid fan of the Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Mavericks.

Robert Weller
Beginning July 28, the National Association of Broadcasters will have a new vice president. With 14 years job experience at consulting firm Hammett & Edison and expertise in FCC’s spectrum policy areas, Robert Weller will now report to Rick Kaplan, EVP of strategic planning at NAB. “Broadcasting is in my blood,” Weller told us. “One of my first jobs was doing maintenance at an AM/FM combo. My father hosted a radio show on KRE in Berkeley, CA.” Weller is a certified motorcycle-riding instructor and a oenophile: he enjoys the two hobbies separately, of course.

Emilienne Gray
After traveling the globe as a performing singer/artist, running her own independent record label and founding VISION-INTELLECT, a boutique Media and Entertainment Consulting & Coaching firm, Emilienne Gray is stepping down from her senior position at MTV + VH1 and joining YANGAROO, a digital media distribution company. At YANGAROO, Gray will be work as the team’s special consultant and broadcast adviser. She brings with her more than 25 years in talent programming, media consulting and market research. Her responsibilities include establishing relationships with new broadcasters in North America and Europe, and expanding YANGAROO’s relationships with current broadcasters, record labels, and artists. Emilienne’s adventurous world traveling spirit began early on; born in Cameroon, and raised in France, Emilienne began her career in Germany.

Rick Holzman
Moving up in the animal kingdom is Rick Holzman, who was tapped as Animal Planet’s General Manager and EVP. Holzman joined the company in November of 2007 working as the channel’s EVP of programming and scheduling. Under his tenure, programs such as “River Monsters,” “Whale Wars” and “Finding Bigfoot” have made Animal Planet a forerunner in ad-supported cable networks. He will step-up after Animal Planet’s most-watched year-to-date. Previously, Holzman worked at USA and MTV Networks. Holzman told us about his career as a former competitive skateboarder; he also rocked as a punk band’s lead drummer.

Lenny Daniels
Turner Sports has a new president, effective immediately. Joining the Turner Broadcasting brand in 1996, Daniels rose through the company ranks from senior director of NBA and NFL on TNT to SVP in 2005, and now from EVP and COO to president. This new role has Daniels overseeing day-to-day management at Turner Sports, including production, programming, scheduling, league relations, business development, ad sales, marketing, digital, talent, events and operations. His accomplishments include developing ‘teamcast’—team/player storylines and team-specific replays—which cultivated team pride during the 2014 NCAA Tournament National Semifinal games. When not at work, he enjoys going to Lake Oconee (GA) with his wife and two sons and taking the kids on the boat for ‘wakeboarding.’ An aircraft aficionado, Daniels also enjoys piloting planes.

Sameer Deen
Scripps Networks Interactive just named Sameer Deen SVP of multi-platform distribution and strategy, after serving as a key leader in the company’s digital group. Sameer has proven effective in expanding international reach and digital distribution. Sameer’s attention to the public’s demand for diverse digital platforms and services was recognized in 2011, when his name was added to Cablefax’s “Most Influential Minorities in Cable” list. Sameer could be the poster child of Rosetta Stone with mastery of four languages. When not at work, he literally “kicks back” with extreme sports such as kick boxing and kite surfing.

Dave Kaplan
Bravo and Oxygen Media promoted Dave Kaplan to SVP, research and insight. Kaplan will now be leading the taskforce behind qualitative and quantitative analysis of the network’s viewers. He will manage the tracking, program and concept testing, series maintenance, brand tracking and consumers’ changing entertainment and technology profiles. Kaplan has been with Bravo since 2011 as vp of ad sales research, leading analysis of viewer habits and loyalty. Before joining Bravo, Kaplan worked at The Nielsen Company and became the first winner of the Advertising Research Foundation’s (ARF) Rising Star Award, recognizing the industry’s most promising young researchers. Dave’s pattern of winning awards began at early on—when he and his identical twin were each 10 pounds at birth, setting a record in the state of New Jersey. Fun fact—he once tackled an erratic passenger on a cross-country flight!