- NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Schell has left.
- “I had an inappropriate relationship with a woman at the company and I deeply regret it,” Shell said in a statement.
- Shell’s executive team will begin reporting to Comcast Chairman Mike Kavanagh.
Jeff Schell, CEO of NBCUniversal, walks to lunch at the Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference on July 07, 2022 in Sun Valley, Idaho.
Kevin Deitch | Good pictures
NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell stepped down Sunday, effective immediately, after admitting to an “inappropriate relationship” with a woman at Comeni, parent company Comcast announced.
“Today is my last day as CEO of NBCUniversal. I had an inappropriate relationship with a woman at the company, and I deeply regret it. I am truly sorry for letting my Comcast and NBCUniversal colleagues down, who are extremely talented. The past 19 years of business and the opportunity to work with them have been a privilege. “Blessed,” Schell said A statement.
Comcast hired outside counsel and launched an internal investigation following a complaint. The complaint was filed by a woman who shared an “inappropriate relationship” with Shell, people familiar with the matter said.
Shell’s team will report to Comcast Chairman Mike Kavanagh, a company email said. The company is not interviewing or looking for a replacement and has no immediate plans to do so, a person close to the matter said. Shell and other executives at NBCUniversal have already been reporting to Cavanagh for some time, and he knows the business well, the person said.
“We are disappointed to share this news with you. We built this company on a culture of integrity. Nothing is more important than how we treat each other. You must trust your leaders to create a safe and respectful workplace. Violations of our principles and policies, as we did here, require appropriate action. We will always move quickly to adopt,” Cavanaugh and Comcast CEO Brian Roberts said in a separate statement.
Roberts will be more involved in the NBCUniversal business alongside Cavanaugh, the person said.
Shell served as CEO of NBCUniversal January 2020. He oversaw the company’s theme parks, its Peacock streaming service, sports production operations, a group of television stations and entertainment and news television networks such as NBC News.
He previously served as president of NBCUniversal Film and Entertainment.
Comcast is due to report earnings Thursday.
Disclosure: Comcast is owned by NBCUniversal, the parent company of CNBC.
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