His efficiency impressed executives at NBC’s mother or father firm, Comcast. In Could 2020, Jeff Shell, then the NBCUniversal chief government, put Mr. Conde accountable for the NBC Information Group, changing a veteran newsman, Andrew Lack.
Privately, Mr. Shell acknowledged that Mr. Conde had a special background from his predecessor.
In accordance with two folks aware of his remarks, Mr. Shell stated there have been three kinds of leaders who ran information organizations. “Journalists, politicians and businesspeople,” Mr. Shell stated, the 2 folks recalled. “Cesar is a politician.”
Beneath Mr. Conde’s watch, the information division has expanded its digital efforts, and MSNBC’s and NBC’s flagship TV packages have continued to attract good scores. On Friday, Mike Cavanagh, the president of Comcast, praised Mr. Conde’s stewardship “throughout a time of transition” in media. “The efficiency of the Information Group speaks to his nice management particularly throughout difficult instances,” he stated in a press release.
A few of Mr. Conde’s strikes raised eyebrows within the NBC newsroom.
He organized for lists of on-air company to be forwarded to his workplace, so he might drop by and greet influential and highly effective guests. When Mr. Bush was interviewed on “In the present day” in 2021 by his daughter, Jenna Bush Hager, Mr. Conde requested his workplace to ahead his biography to the previous president prematurely, based on two folks aware of the association. (Mr. Conde usually speaks admiringly about his time working as a fellow for Secretary of State Colin Powell underneath Mr. Bush.)
Mr. Conde additionally retained his board seats at Pepsi and Walmart, from which he earned greater than $640,000 in compensation final 12 months, based on monetary filings. Information leaders often try to keep away from even the looks of battle of curiosity. Mr. Conde has stated he recuses himself from any editorial selections involving the 2 corporations. (He’s additionally a trustee on the Aspen Institute, which sponsors the Concepts Pageant; in 2021, underneath Mr. Conde, NBC Information Group signed a partnership to be the institute’s media associate.)
