The Evolution of Television:
A Conversation with BBC Worldwide North America President Ann Sarnoff

Moderated by: Catherine Tinsley, professor of management and director of the Georgetown University Women's Leadership Institute.

As president of BBC Worldwide North America, Ann Sarnoff is responsible for driving growth and profit across the company’s diversified business divisions in the United States and Canada. She oversees BBC Worldwide Productions (producers of Dancing with the Stars and Getting On), Adjacent Productions, linear and digital program sales and co-productions, home entertainment, licensing, live events, film, and BBC.com. She also leads efforts to amplify BBC Worldwide’s global brands Top Gear, Doctor Who, and the natural history brand BBC Earth. In her previous role as COO, Sarnoff was responsible for most major revenue streams for the company and led cross-business franchise development for global brands, resulting in significant revenue gains.

Prior to joining BBC Worldwide, Sarnoff was president of Dow Jones Ventures and senior vice president of strategy. Sarnoff also worked at Viacom with some of the best-known brands in television. As Nickelodeon’s executive vice president for consumer products and business development, she built Nickelodeon consumer products — including Rugrats and Blue's Clues — into a multi-billion dollar revenue business and led the teams that developed the channels TV Land and Noggin. She also served as COO for VH1 and CMT, where she oversaw the company’s websites, radio, audio, and video products and launched the channel VH1 Classic.

Sarnoff holds a B.S. from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business and an MBA from Harvard Business School. She is vice chair of the McDonough School of Business Board of Advisors and serves as on the boards of HSN, Inc. and the Harvard Business School Women’s Association of New York. She also is on the Digital Task Force for New York Public Radio.