NBC Snares Roku’s Kristina Shepard for New Ad-Sales Role

variety.com:

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor Kristina Shepard, an eight-year veteran of Roku, has joined NBCUniversal as an executive vice president tasked with sales tied to streaming and programmatic advertising, an area of growing importance to the Comcast-backed media company as places more emphasis on its Peacock streaming service and prepares to spin off the bulk of its cable networks.

Shepard will report to Alison Levin, a president of NBCU’s ad sales and partnerships division, who joined the company in late 2023, also after a long stint at Roku.

Shepard will oversee efforts to sell performance-based advertising, as well as advertising tied to small and medium businesses.

She will also supervise relationships with major independent agencies on the east coast. Overall, she will monitor advertising partnerships tied to streaming, programmatic, retail media and NBCU’s FAST venues. “Kristina has an exceptional track record in building and growing new businesses across programmatic, SMB and digital enterprises,” said Levin, in a statement. “She has seamlessly led a multi-billion-dollar streaming operation and has cultivated extensive client relationships that will elevate NBCUniversal’s position in the CTV landscape and expand our aperture in critical emerging workstreams.” Levin had been vice president of global advertising sales and partnerships at Roku.