• by Wayne Friedman , April 23, 2023

In a shocking departure, Jeff Shell, NBCUniversal chief executive officer of NBCUniversal, has abruptly resigned his post following a misconduct investigation.

Shell, who had been at the job for three years, has departed the company following an investigation from Comcast-directed outside counsel. The executives who report to Shell will now report to Mike Cavanagh, president of Comcast Corp.

"I had an inappropriate relationship with a woman in the company, which I deeply regret,” says Shell in a company press release. “I'm truly sorry I let my Comcast and NBCUniversal colleagues down, they are the most talented people in the business and the opportunity to work with them for the last 19 years has been a privilege."

In an email to company employees, Cavanagh and Brian Roberts, chief executive officer of Comcast Corp., said: “When our principles and policies are violated, we will always move quickly to take appropriate action, as we have done here.”

Shell came to the job in January 2020 after heading up NBCUniversal Film and Entertainment. He replaced longtime chief executive officer Steve Burke.

Shell, who had been with NBCUniversal since 2004, helped lead NBCUniversal's push into premium streaming with Peacock, a service launched in July 2020.

Cavanagh was promoted to president of Comcast Corp. after holding the position of chief financial officer in October 2022. He remains chief financial officer in his current position.

NBCU says a process is underway to find a replacement for Shell.