Television Panel
Justin Danko
VP Branded Entertainment MTV Networks, Viacom
Justin Danko is serving as a innovative branded entertainment strategist and tactical leader for clients who wish to pursue product placement, brand integration series partnerships, content funding partnerships, fully integrated multi-platform marketing strategy partnerships, and experiential marketing partnerships across Viacom Media Network's Music Group (MTV, MTV2, mtvU, VH1, Logo, Palladia) and Entertainment Group (Comedy Central, Spike TV, TV Land, and CMT). He has also served as Director of Product Development and Brand Solutions for Comedy Central for 4 years. Before Comedy Central, Mr. Danko was a Manager of Ad Sales Marketing and Product Development at the USA Network and Director of Ad Sales Operations and Finance Integration for the NBC Universal merger. Danko holds a bachelors degree from Bucknell University and a Masters in Strategic Communications from Columbia University.
Beau Ferrari
EVP Operations Univision
Beau Ferrari is Executive Vice President of Operations for Univision Networks at Univision Communications Inc., the leading media company serving Hispanic America. In this capacity, he has responsibility for operations and helping to manage the growth and profitability of Univision’s content offerings, including Univision Network, TeleFutura Network, and Univision Cable Networks, which includes Galavisión and a suite of new cable networks - De Película, De Película Clásico, Bandamax, Ritmoson, Telehit and Clásico TV. He is a member of Univision’s executive strategy and growth board, and is involved across corporate functions including business development, communications and government relations. Mr. Ferrari previously served as Chief of Staff/Special Assistant to the CEO of Univision Communications, Inc., reporting directly to the CEO. In this capacity he helped manage the Company’s operations, strategic initiatives and personnel across Univision’s networks, local television and radio assets, as well as interactive and mobile platforms. Prior to joining Univision, he served as co-founder and partner of Royal Palm Capital Partners, a private equity investment and management firm. In this position his responsibilities included extensive experience as an officer and director of several public and private companies. Mr. Ferrari began his career as an investment banker with Morgan Stanley & Co. in New York. Mr. Ferrari is also involved in leading innovative economic development initiatives for the state of Florida. In 2008, he was appointed by the Governor of Florida to the Board of the Institute for Commercialization of Public Research, which focuses on building the state’s venture capital and technology economies. He was named Chairman of the Board and has served since that time. He is a member of the Board’s Audit and Compensation Committees. Previously, he has also worked at the White House in the Office of Vice President of the United States. He holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and graduated from Georgetown University, magna cum laude, with a double major in Finance and International Business. Mr. Ferrari is a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society.
Katherine Johnson
SVP Integrated Marketing at OWN
Katherine Johnson is a strategic marketing leader with two decades of experience in developing content and promotional initiatives for major brands. She is currently Senior Vice President of Integrated Marketing at The Oprah Winfrey Network, leading the business and creative strategy for their client marketing efforts. Previously, she was the head of Turner Entertainment’s client development and partnership marketing practice. In this role, she formed high-level client and agency partnerships based on common goals, ranging from co-marketing to program development to research and technology innovation. She also drove Turner Entertainment’s multicultural strategy. In a former role, Johnson was Senior Vice President of promotions and marketing, overseeing relationships with top-tier clients to create innovative marketing opportunities including support of the TNT "we know drama,” TBS "very funny” and tru TV “not reality, actuality” brands. Johnson oversaw the creation and execution of more than one thousand client projects each year as a member of the senior leadership team for the Entertainment division, which generated over $2 billion in revenue. She and her team were recognized with several Promax, Buzz, Effie and Jack Myers Media Innovation and Creativity Awards for projects such as TNT’s Leverage HQ Interactive Game with Hyundai Genesis and the US Census Bureau’s House of Payne custom content and Lopez Tonight integration aimed at the multicultural segment. Prior to joining Turner Entertainment, Johnson was with Time Warner’s Global Marketing Solutions division, where she worked with Warner Brothers Studios, Warner Music, AOL, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., and the Time Inc. publications. Johnson began her career on Wall Street but soon joined Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. in 1994 as part of the newly formed Cartoon Network sales and marketing team. She gained extensive industry experience including directing marketing efforts at an online start-up company; working as a global media consultant while based in Brazil; and serving as strategist and marketing director for US News & World Report. Johnson received her BA in philosophy at Duke University and holds a MBA from the Harvard Business School. She is a member of Promax, Promotional Marketing Association, Women In Cable Television, Advertising Women of New York and Duke University Women’s Forum Executive Board.
Lance Podell
Director, Global Head, YouTube Next Lab
Lance Podell is the Director and Global Head of the YouTube Next Lab. Here he is responsible for the incubation and development of programming channels for YouTube’s partners across the Film & Entertainment, Sports, Music & Gaming and Online Creators verticals. Within his purview are studio management, audience development, channel incubation and acceleration and creative programming guidance for some of YouTube’s most prominent partners. Podell’s prior company, Next New Networks was acquired by YouTube in March, 2011. Podell was the Chairman and CEO of Next New Networks, a venture-backed online video company that distributed some of the most popular TV-like programming across the Web, especially on YouTube. Next New Networks shows included, Barely Political with the Obama Girl and Hungry Nation, a populists view of food and dining. Podell brings to YouTube over 25 years of experience bringing great content together with advertising and has been on the forefront of evolving ad models on the Web. Prior to Next New Networks, Podell served as CEO of Seevast, an online advertising network company focused on sponsored links and vertical display advertising. While there he served on the Board of the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB). Previously, Podell served as general manager of Sprinks, a division of About, Inc., a Primedia company. Podell’s career consists of consumer and business-to-business marketing, and has worked for both Fortune 500 companies as well as start-ups, including DealTime (now Shopping.com), Time Inc., US West, Publishers Clearing House, Bronner/Slosberg/Humphrey (now Digitas), Chiat/Day Advertising and Ogilvy & Mather. Podell holds a A.B. from Lafayette College and a M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.
Ken Todd
VP Digital Content Syndication & Mobile Development at Showtime Networks Inc.
Ken Todd is the Vice President of Digital Content Syndication and Mobile Development for Showtime Networks Inc. In this position, Todd is responsible for the company’s promotional digital content distribution initiatives and broadband partnerships with entertainment and video-sharing portals, including full episode sampling campaigns. In addition, Todd oversees the company’s mobile initiatives, which includes the development and operations for smartphone and tablet applications, mobile web, mobile messaging. Todd also oversees analytics for Showtime Networks’ Digital Media group. The company currently has applications in the market for the Showtime® network for iPhone, iPod Touch, Android smartphones and tablets, and the Nook tablet, as well apps for the series Dexter®, Weeds and an innovative augmented reality application called “Watch Carefully,” which was part of the launch campaign for Homeland. The Showtime Social App for iPad is also currently available. The hallmark of this app is the live discussion feature, which is a second screen companion to the live Showtime broadcast where viewers can interact with social networks in a new way, giving users the opportunity to react instantly to episodes on Showtime at any time during the broadcast. The company also recently launched a companion app for its new comedy series HOUSE OF LIES, "Stroke Your Genius: Marty's Guide to Management Consulting," which is an irreverent guide to the ins-and-outs of big business with the look of an interactive magazine. This app will be available for iPad, Nook, Android and Kindle Fire tablets. Todd is a member of the Interactive Media Peer Group Executive Committee of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Todd received his M.B.A. in Marketing and Corporate Strategy from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business and his B.A. degree in Economics and International Studies from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. He works in the company's New York headquarters.
Crystal McCrary (Moderator)
Executive Producer & TV Personality
Award-winning film, TV producer and author, Crystal McCrary, began her career practicing entertainment law specializing in theatre production, publishing contracts and director’s agreements before leaving to pursue a full-time career in writing and producing. Ms. McCrary published the New York Times Best-selling novels Homecourt Advantage and Gotham Diaries. She also executive produced the independent film Dirty Laundry, winning Best Feature Film at the American Black Film Festival. For six seasons Ms. McCrary served as co-creator/executive producer for the NAACP Image Award nominated VIACOM documentary series Leading Woman and Leading Men which profiled women and men of color who have impacted the country socially, politically and culturally. Ms. McCrary is also in pre-production with iDeal Partners Film Fund for the film version of her first novel Homecourt Advantage. Crystal’s next book, Inspiration: Profiles of Black Women Changing the World will be published by February, 2012. Ms. McCrary is a cum laude graduate of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (B.A., 1991). She then attended New York University School of Law (J.D., 1995). Ms. McCrary also studied International European Community Law in Paris, France.