Jeff Shell was named Chief Executive Officer of NBCUniversal in January 2020. He oversees the company’s valuable portfolio of news, sports, and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks.
Previously, Shell was Chairman of NBCUniversal Film and Entertainment. In this role, he oversaw the content creation, programming and distribution engines behind NBCUniversal’s film and network television businesses including NBC Entertainment, Universal Filmed Entertainment Group (UFEG), Telemundo and NBCUniversal International. He was also responsible for driving the extensions of the company’s intellectual property and consumer product strategy with Universal Brand Development, as well as the expansion of the go-to destination for moviegoers with Fandango.
Shell previously served as Chairman of UFEG, a position he held since 2013. Over the course of his tenure, Universal celebrated four years of record profit, and the two most profitable years in the studio’s 107-year history with titles from some of its biggest franchises such as Fast & Furious, Jurassic World and Illumination’s Despicable Me. With Shell’s oversight, Universal Brand Development’s portfolio grew extensively to include Consumer Products, Games and Digital Platforms, and Live Entertainment. Fandango’s portfolio expanded to include a global suite of ticketing properties, including MovieTickets.com, Flixster, Ingresso.com and Fandango Latin America. Additionally, the company acquired DreamWorks Animation in 2016, and under Shell’s leadership, the global family entertainment company and its feature film and television brands became an integral part of UFEG.
Prior to joining UFEG, Shell served as Chairman of NBCUniversal International. In this role, he managed all aspects of NBCUniversal’s international businesses including International TV Distribution, Global Television Networks and International Television Production. He also oversaw, in partnership with their domestic leaders, CNBC International, International Theatrical Marketing and Distribution, International Home Entertainment and International Theme Parks Operations.
Prior to joining NBCUniversal, Shell served as President of Comcast Programming Group where he was responsible for managing Comcast’s national and regional television networks including E! Entertainment Network, the Golf Channel, International Channel Networks, and Comcast Sports Group, just to name a few. Under his leadership, Comcast’s networks grew significantly in distribution, viewership and profitability during his six-year tenure.
Before Comcast, Shell was CEO of Gemstar TV Guide International leading the business through a number of legal and operational challenges. Previous to Gemstar, he held several positions at News Corporation including President, FOX Cable Networks Group. He also held leadership roles at The Walt Disney Company and Salomon Brothers prior to joining News Corporation.
Shell serves on the board of several non-profit organizations including the National Constitution Center and organizations focused on public school reform.
Shell received his Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Harvard University and his Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and Applied Mathematics from University of California, Berkeley. He resides in Los Angeles with his wife and daughter.
NBCUniversal, Inc. – formerly known as NBCUniversal Media, LLC on January 29, 2011,[2] and NBC Universal, Inc. previously from November 29, 2004 to January 28, 2011,[3][4] and colloquially referred to as NBCUor NBCUni – is an American media and entertainment company engaged in the production and marketing of entertainment, news, and information products and services to a global customer base. The company owns and operates American television networks, numerous cable channels, and a group of local stations in the United States, as well as motion picture companies, several television production companies, and branded theme parks. It is the world's largest mass media.
