CBS Corp. announced on Oct. 18 that David Nevins was appointed Chief Creative Officer of the company and promoted to chairman and CEO of Showtime Networks Inc. He was president and CEO of Showtime since 2016.
In his new CCO role, Nevins will have oversight of programming, marketing, and research at CBS Television Studios, CBS Entertainment, Showtime Networks and, in conjunction with CBS Interactive, CBS All Access. Nevins will also oversee CBS’ interest in The CW, the company’s joint venture with Warner Bros. Entertainment.
Under Nevins’ leadership, Showtime has launched numerous hit series, and become the industry leader in boxing programming. Homeland, the first project greenlit by Nevins at the network, has won Golden Globe, Emmy and Peabody Awards.
Prior to joining Showtime, he served as president of Imagine Television from 2002 to 2010, overseeing the development and production of award-winning television shows such as Arrested Development, 24 and Friday Night Lights. He has also been executive vice president, programming at Fox Broadcasting Co., and senior vice president, Primetime Series at NBC.
Christina Spade has been named executive vice president and chief financial officer of CBS Corp. She will oversee all of CBS’ financial operations, including treasury, tax, accounting, internal audit, information security and real estate. The announcement was made by Joe Ianniello, the president and acting CEO who was once CFO himself.
Spade was previously EVP and CFO of Showtime Networks from 2013. In her 22-year career with Showtime, Spade has served in several capacities, including leading the network’s financial and business operations’ management of distribution revenue and sales, marketing and creative expenses as SVP, Affiliate Finance and Business Operations.
Before Showtime, she was an audit manager in the entertainment, media and communications practice of PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Spade is currently an executive member of the board of directors for the T. Howard Foundation as Treasurer and a NY Chapter Board member of Financial Executives International. She founded and is president of ATR Children’s Foundation, which is a non-profit organization established to help children in need.
Laurie Rosenfield
Note that CBS, in need of a cultural shift in the wake of the investigation of former chairman and CEO Leslie Moonves, recently created a new role to help foster change.
In May, it brought in Laurie Rosenfield as SVP, people development, human resources. Previously, she was the global director, executive search at Wolters Kluwer, a firm specializing in global information and technology services. At the time, Ianniello said, “Laurie’s expertise in attracting, developing and retaining the best talent, coupled with her focus on the opportunity in front of us to strengthen our workplace, made her the natural choice to take on this vitally important responsibility.”
