Spring 2007 Mentor Profiles

Leslie E. Russell
Jenifer Kvasnicka
Helen Sommer
Jack Skalican
Nancy Hurlbut
Carolyn O’Hearn

Leslie E. Russell
Vice President, Sales & Marketing
Comcast Media Center

Leslie E. Russell, Vice President, Sales and Marketing for the Comcast Media Center (CMC), is a19-year telecommunications and entertainment industry veteran. In this position, she is responsible for all aspects of customer acquisition and retention, including National Sales, Client Services, Marketing, Public Relations and Business Affairs.

Beforehand, she served as Director of National Product Marketing for the DBS venture PRIMESTAR, which was acquired by DirecTV, PRIMESTAR by DirecTV. Well versed in the marketing requirements for both cable TV systems operators and networks, her earlier industry experiences include serving as a regional product manager for Comcast Cable and holding affiliate sales and affiliate relations posts at Viewers Choice, a pay per view service that was later renamed and repositioned as iN DEMAND networks.

Recent recognition of her marketing leadership includes receiving an Excellence in Marketing Award from Comcast and being selected as a CTAM Retail Marketing Case Study winner. Leslie is an Executive Member of Women in Cable and Telecommunications and a graduate of the Betsy Magness Leadership Institute – Class XIII.

Leslie’s core values are commitment, integrity and honesty. She has been an informal mentor most of her career. Her thoughts on being a WICT Mentor: “I think listening skills are critical to mentoring coupled with the ability to help people see beyond where they are today”.

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For the past 2 years Jenifer has been partnering with Starz Entertainment Group’s and Time Warner Telecom’s various departments to identify and recruit talent for openings within the companies. Jenifer is recognized for her ability to establish trust and reliability with her customers and partnering in order to fill a need for the success of the internal team, and thus the company’s goals. She is also known for relationships she builds with the people she comes in contact with, and her interest in the company’s growth and success. Her core values are honesty, commitment, and trust.

Jennifer supports the WICT Mentoring Program – “The invitation to be a mentor in this program will allow me to give back to others what I had the opportunity to gain, and will thus continue the cycle of the sharing of knowledge and giving of support to those who are and will become my colleagues. I believe this is an essential part of our growth as professionals and individuals in any walk of life”.

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Helen made the move to the Level 3 Communications as the liaison between operations and the IT department. She managed 8 direct reports. Through out her career her accomplishments have been quickly recognized, taking her to the next step as a Senior Solutions Manager then ultimately to her current role as Director of Managed Soft Switch and Voice Implementation. Helen’s current priority is to consolidate and simplify the business process and OSS platform. The program focuses on ensuring the integration of the seven companies Level 3 has purchased over the last two years. Helen holds her PMP certification and is serving dual roles representing both IT and the business for the program.

Helen values honesty, fairness and equality. When asked why Helen wanted to be a mentor, she said: “Women have a harder time asking for help and building the professional relationships necessary to keep their career on the path they would like. When I younger, I was not fortunate enough to have a mentor who could provide me the guidance and act as a confidant. I think my experience can be helpful to another woman to help guide them through their career and become their champion”.

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Jack Skalican
Director, Learning & Development
Comcast

Jack Skalican has extensive experience initiating organizational change initiatives, including performance management tools, cultural change processes, and leadership development tools. Jack has worked at America West Airlines, Cox Communications, AGLR, Inc., Virgin Atlantic Airways LTD, and VisionPoint, Inc.
He holds a Master of Arts Degree in Organization Management and has completed extensive study and certifications in the areas of Dialogue, Coaching & Consulting, Leadership Development, Change Management, Creativity, and Organizational Behavior.

Jack’s chosen profession and passion is to help develop future leaders and help make current leaders even more effective in their roles. He believes a leader’s role is to create an environment where people can contribute their full talents, involving people in decisions and designing how the work will get accomplished to create higher levels of engagement and ultimately better results. Jack has powerful facilitation skills and is a committed personal development coach who has worked with executives, managers, and supervisors.

Jack’s core values include creativity and the value of artistic expression, freedom and independence, open mindedness, honesty, learning and the search for knowledge.

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Nancy has lead accounting and finance teams for the past 20+ years in the telecommunications and cable industry. She has been instrumental in transitions from acquisitions, technology, billing initiatives, and ensuring the accurate and timely reporting is delivered to her internal partners. Nancy manages large capital budgets that support the growth and development of the business. Most recent, she has held the position of Sr. Director with Time Warner Cable since 2003.

Nancy believes in creating an environment where employees can learn and grow to successfully move up to the next level as opportunities become available, looking as challenges as opportunities and surrounding oneself with successful people.

Aside from her strengths in the technical aspects of finance and accounting, Nancy focuses her energy toward the people side of the business. She values honesty, trustworthiness, and reliablility. “Being a good mentor is something I strive for daily. Listening is essential”.

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Carolyn O’Hearn is the Director of Product Management for the Comcast Colorado market. In this position, she is responsible for the roll out of all new product enhancements to the video and the Internet side of the cable business.

She is a 13 ½ year veteran in the telecommunications industry. Her past experience at TCI and AT&T Broadband has been focused on marketing multiple products in a marketplace full of competition, as well as targeting an audience that is prime for the products and services being offered. Her experience has included positions in Franchising, Regulatory Affairs, Communications and most recently, Marketing.

Carolyn’s core values are honesty and integrity. She is excited to be a WICT mentor: “Many of my successful adventures in the cable industry have occurred because I have had the blessing of being around wonderful mentors. I would love to give back to others within the telecommunications industry so that they in turn can enjoy all of the wonderful things that this industry can bring to them.”

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