Kristen Welch

Chair-Elect

SVP of Global Content and Long Range Strategic Planning
Discovery Communications, Inc. (Discovery Channel)

In June 2010, Kristen Welch was tapped to lead the Global Content Operations team. This newly formed group, comprised of accounting, FP&A and programming operations activities, will assume global responsibility for developing standard operating procedures and a data governance process across the content lifecycle. The establishment of the team will allow for efficient global administration, accounting and reporting related to our content assets and will provide greater visibility for operational management.

Kristen Welch recently served as the chief financial officer for Discovery Channel and Science Channel. Welch supported the president and COO of the networks on all financial matters, ensuring financial objectives were met.

She previously served as vice president, finance, Discovery Networks where she forecasted and analyzed all revenue and expenses relating to advertising sales, programming, marketing and research for 12 U.S. cable networks. While at that post, Welch developed amortization methodologies for film inventory with an annual investment of $525M.

As director, division controller with Discovery Networks, Welch performed due diligence on potential network acquisitions and participated in the development of business plans for Travel Channel, Eye on People, Court TV and Discovery Kids.

She was also director of corporate planning and reporting for Discovery Networks where she managed and coordinated the preparation of the 1998 DCI five-year business plan and was the primary liaison for administrative and executive groups.

Welch began her career at Discovery as a programming assistant, preparing monthly national program listings reports for Discovery Channel and TLC.

She is a graduate of the University of Maryland College Park, receiving both a Masters of Business Administration and Bachelors of Art, Economics.