Comcast’s cable TV spinoff Versant has enlisted NBCUniversal‘s Jessica Kurdali as its senior vp of talent strategy.
Kurdali joins Versant to lead its talent strategy from the NBCUniversal News Group, where she served as senior vp of talent strategy and development for NBC News and MSNBC. She will bring her talent management, recruitment and development skills to USA, Syfy, E!, CNBC, MSNBC, Oxygen and Golf Channel, as well as some digital businesses like Fandango and Rotten Tomatoes, that will make up Versant.
Kurdali joins the cable TV spinoff as it looks to bolster its senior leadership team and become a standalone media company led by CEO Mark Lazarus, CFO and COO Anand Kini, and chairman David Novak. An independent strategy for Versant will also look to establish the cable TV spinoff as a potential partner and acquirer of other complementary media businesses amid another expected wave of industry consolidation.
Cable channel Bravo, the NBC broadcast network and streaming service Peacock will remain part of Comcast’s entertainment arm NBCUniversal. A 22-year veteran at NBCU, Kurdali had helped identify, develop and secure top talent across the News Group division.
Versant will have a heavy focus on news via MSNBC and CNBC, though the split from NBCUniversal means MSNBC will need to staff up a news division of its own. Versant is expected to largely find top executives from the ranks of NBCUniversal as the new media company is anchored by news, sports and entertainment content.
The spin-off transaction to established Versant is expected to be completed this year.