Comcast announced the reorganization of several operations dedicated to managing services on behalf of customers, essentially by folding the previously separate IP services operation with the Comcast Media Center (CMC) under an umbrella unit called Comcast Wholesale.
Comcast Wholesale now incorporates CMC units including Content Solutions, HITS and AdDelivery, with the IP Services unit, which provides data and voice services. CMC was a wholly-owned subsidiary; Comcast Wholesale will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary as well.
Matt McConnell is senior vice president and general manager of Comcast Wholesale. He was hired by Comcast a year ago, and has held his current title for at least a month.
Prior to joining Comcast, McConnell held senior leadership roles in corporate strategy and business development at Level 3 Communications and AOL as well as technology startups such as Troppus Software and MoveFree.com. He has also held strategic planning posts at Pricewaterhouse Coopers, Booz Allen Hamilton and Accenture.
Reporting to McConnell will be Jeff Vogt, vice president of business operations and strategy, Richard Buchanan, vice president & general manager of Comcast Media Center (formerly Content Solutions), Leslie Russell, vice president & general manager of HITS, and Barry Tishgart, vice president & general manager of IP Services.
Comcast hired Vogt six months ago. His background also includes stints at Level 3 and AOL.
Buchanan and Russell had been members of the CMC executive management team. In his new position, Buchanan will be responsible for content solutions like VOD delivery, network origination, video production and postproduction, etc. to the industry, according to a CMC spokesman.
In the coming weeks, the spokesman said, you’ll see the CMC become more focused on content solutions and a new Comcast Wholesale site provide the umbrella role for CMC, and HITS.
“Building upon the technology, talent and longstanding commitment to serving the industry for which the CMC brand is recognized, Comcast Wholesale will continue to drive innovation in wholesale commercial markets as we develop and grow both existing and new product offers,” McConnell said. “With its theme of ‘Accelerate the Amazing,’ the Cable Show is the perfect place to premiere our new brand, which will help to turn that vision into a reality for our industry customers.”
Comcast said the division’s scalable services portfolio allows media, communications, advertising and technology businesses of any size to launch new products with lower up-front investment, improved efficiency and faster time to market.
