Nancy Dubuc is leaving Vice Media Group where she was CEO for the past five years. She just announced her decision to her staff in a memo. According to sources, she was at the end of her contract and decided it was right time to move on. It comes as the board has launched a process to sell — an acquisition of the whole company, a strategic recapitalization or other transactions involving individual assets — under the oversight of a Special Board Committee.
Hype, sex appeal and the promise of young audiences turned Shane Smith’s wild brainchild into one of the hottest digital brands on the planet. Then came scandal and skepticism. Now it’s up to Nancy Dubuc, the new CEO, to clean up the $5.7 billion media company’s culture and balance sheet as she prepares to launch a nightly live show on Viceland and as Vice’s weekly HBO show is expected to end.
A hasty CEO exit has put the spotlight on A+E Networks as a symbol of the business trends that are troubling the pay-TV arena.
Former A+E Networks CEO Nancy Dubuc has been named CEO of Vice Media, the company said today. Vice Media co-founder Shane Smith will shift to a new role as executive chairman. The news comes a day after Dubuc announced her exit after nearly 20 years from A+E Networks. The transition comes as Vice has experienced some growing pains and some behind-the-scenes tumult amid allegations of questionable conduct among senior executives at the hard-charging digital content firm.
A&E Networks president and CEO Nancy Dubuc is leaving the company effective April 16. She has been in talks with Vice though it is unclear whether she would end up there. A+E Network’s former CEO of A+E Networks Abbe Raven, who retired from the company in 2015 after 33 years, will return as acting chair to oversee the transition until a replacement is named.
Exclusives
A+E Networks chief Nancy Dubuc has pulled herself out of contention for the top job at Amazon Studios. Sources said Amazon had been in negotiations with Dubuc but the executive became weary of the extended interviewing process and decided to withdraw from consideration.
Viacom CEO Bob Bakish and A+E Networks CEO Nancy Dubuc will add some executive star power to the lineup for NATPE Miami 2017, to be held Jan. 17-19. Each will deliver keynotes at the annual gathering for dealmakers in production, advertising, distribution and music.
Nancy Dubuc, the chief executive of A&E Networks, tries to get the best out of her teams by balancing them with three types of people.
Nancy Dubuc’s rise to the top of A+E Networks is now complete. The exec who has steered the group encompassing A&E Network, History and Lifetime to new heights will be promoted to president and CEO of the parent company, jointly owned by Disney and Hearst Corp., as of June 1. Dubuc will take the reins from Abbe Raven, who advances to chairman.
