Banikarim Leaves NBCU For Gannett

There are more executive suite changes at NBC -- this time at its integrated marketing unit.

Maryam Banikarim, senior vice president of integrated sales marketing for NBC Universal -- who struck deals with major NBC marketing partners for cross-marketing efforts -- has left to become chief marketing officer of Gannett.

An NBC spokesperson could not be reached by press time. Sources expect NBC to replace Banikarim in the coming weeks.

Since January, when Comcast Corp. officially took over NBC Universal, there have been many executive departures/additions -- following up on major senior executive changes announced last November.

On Friday, a report at New York's Vulture site said Robert Greenblatt, chairman of NBC entertainment, was pushing to make a change for the network on-air entertainment marketing messaging.

Greenblatt, former head of entertainment for Showtime, wanted to bring over Len Fogge, executive vice president of creative, marketing, research and digital media for Showtime Networks, to replace -- or work with -- Adam Stotsky, president of entertainment marketing for NBC.

advertisement

advertisement

Last November, new management of NBC Universal, headed up by new NBC Universal president/CEO Steve Burke, announced a number of forthcoming executive shifts. One included the departure of Mike Pilot, president of advertising sales and marketing for NBC. Longtime NBC second-in-command Marianne Gambelli would take over as president of NBC network advertising sales.

Banikarim has been at the NBC marketing post since February 2009. In that capacity, she had two reports: Lauren Zalaznick, president of NBC Universal Women & Lifestyle Entertainment Networks; and Mike Pilot, president of sales and marketing for NBC Universal.

In addition to general cross-marketing efforts, Banikarim had been responsible for NBC's "Women at NBCU," "Green Is Universal" and "Healthy at NBCU" campaigns. After John Miller, chief marketing officer of NBC Universal Television Group, shifted to other areas, she oversaw the creative services area of The NBC Agency. Before NBC, she had been chief marketing officer at Univision Communications.

Next story loading loading..