NATPE Adds Four To Board Of Directors

The National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE) today appointed four new executives to three-year terms on its board of directors: Sarah Aubrey, head of original content, HBO Max; Dan Cohen, president, global distribution group, ViacomCBS; Sean Cohan, chief growth officer and president, international, Nielsen; and Laura Kennedy, CEO, Avalon.

The announcement was made by Andy Kaplan, NATPE chairman of the board, and JP Bommel, the organization’s president-CEO. The new appointments are effective immediately.

Representing streaming, global distribution, data, and analytics, international production, and talent management, these new board members bring additional expertise and connections to NATPE, which has 41 members from all areas of the content industry.

Kaplan said: “The addition of these four executives to our strong, diverse and experienced board embraces our objective through the next three years to continue to reflect the industry’s content and distribution while actively increasing the diversity of our membership.”

Sarah Aubrey is head of original content for HBO Max, WarnerMedia’s direct-to-consumer platform, where she oversees a distinctive slate of drama, comedy, unscripted, documentary and animation. Prior to HBO Max, Aubrey was executive vice president of original programming for TNT and played an integral role in the network’s evolution into a destination for prestige original dramas. Aubrey has also enjoyed a career as a television and film producer. Throughout her tenure, she has prioritized diversity, equity and inclusion in front of and behind the camera and across executive ranks.

Sean Cohan is responsible for overseeing Nielsen’s global strategy, corporate development, growth partnerships and all International, including measurement, outcomes, sports, and gracenote content services across 80+ countries. Prior to Nielsen, he spent decades in the media business, including a 15-year tenure at A+E Networks, most recently as the president, international and digital.

Dan Cohen is president of the ViacomCBS global distribution group, where he leads the company’s global content licensing and distribution operations. He is responsible for monetizing a large and growing portfolio of original content that airs on the CBS Television Network, The CW, Paramount+ and Showtime, as well as programming from the MTV Entertainment Group, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures, Paramount Television Studios, Paramount Players, Paramount Animation, CBS Studios, CBS News, CBS Media Ventures and Miramax. He also oversees the distribution of the industry’s largest library of film and television titles and runs worldwide home entertainment for the company.

Laura Kennedy is CEO of Avalon, a talent management, production and distribution group based in London, Los Angeles and New York.  Avalon represents a roster of artists including comedians, actors, writers and directors and produces numerous award-winning television shows. Current shows include Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO), Breeders (FX), Everything’s Gonna Be Okay (Freeform), Taskmaster (Channel 4), Flatbush Misdemeanors (Showtime) and Starstruck (HBO Max).