Former airline exec Emilio Romano will take over as president of NBCUniversal’s Spanish language division, Telemundo, the company announced yesterday.
When Romano begins his new position in October, he’ll be in charge of the Telemundo network, the 14 stations it owns, its sports and news divisions, its digital media group, its sales and marketing units, and Telemundo International. He’ll be replacing former president Don Browne, who resigned in April.
In a statement, Lauren Zalaznick, NBCU’s chairman of entertainment and digital networks and integrated media, said that Romano’s “extensive knowledge of Hispanic media combined with a proven track record running large-scale businesses will be a great addition to the Telemundo management team. We will benefit greatly from his expertise across multiple media platforms—particularly in the Mexican market—as we continue to broaden Telemundo’s overall appeal in the vibrant and diverse Hispanic community.”
Romano, who was the chief executive of the Mexican airline carrier Grupo Mexicana de Aviación, also serves on the board of Tam Linhas Aereas, Brazil and Latin America's largest airline, and is president of International Air Transport Association’s International Airline Training Fund Council. But he’s no stranger to the media industry: He was also an executive at mass media conglomerate GrupoTelevisa and served on the board of Univision, Telemundo’s biggest rival.
