Paula Madison

Paula Madison is the Executive Vice President of Diversity for NBC Universal and a Company Officer for GE. Madison, an 18-year GE veteran, was named an officer in June 2007. In May 2007, NBC Universal President and CEO Jeff Zucker appointed her as the company’s chief diversity officer. When the announcement was made, it was the first time in the history of NBC Universal that a senior executive has had diversity as his or her sole responsibility. As the liaison between the company and key national and local leaders, Madison also serves as the diversity spokesperson for NBC Universal. Madison is responsible for working with the company’s business executives to ensure the organization is an industry leader in developing the programs and culture that will enable the company to better reflect the makeup of its increasingly diverse, globally-based customers, clients and audiences.

From November 2000 to May 2007, Madison was the President and General Manager of KNBC, NBC’s owned and operated station in Los Angeles. She was the first African American woman to become general manager at a network-owned station in a top five market. In April 2002, when NBC purchased the Telemundo network, Madison added a new title and responsibilities to her repertoire when she was named Regional General Manager of the Spanish language network’s Los Angeles stations, KVEA and KWHY. In July 2006, she added yet another role to her existing responsibilities – that of Executive Vice President, Diversity, NBC Universal. She was no stranger to this role, however. Madison held the position of Vice President, Diversity, and then Senior Vice President, Diversity, for the NBC network from February 2000 to May 2002.

During her tenure at KNBC, Madison’s commitment to rigorous journalism and her avid dedication to the community helped the station earn numerous prestigious industry awards, including local area Emmy, Golden Mike and Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards for “Best Newscast” and “Best Investigative Reporting.” Madison has also received a significant number of honors for corporate leadership and community outreach. In 2006, Madison received the Walter Bremond Pioneer of African American Achievement Award, a prestigious honor given by the Los Angeles Brotherhood Crusade. She was named one of the 75 Most Powerful African Americans in Corporate America by Black Enterprise Magazine in 2005 and has been included in the Hollywood Reporter’s “Power 100.” Among her many other awards, Madison received the “Citizen of the Year Award” from the City of Los Angeles Marathon in 2004 and the Anti-Defamation League’s “2003 Deborah Award.”

Madison joined KNBC from WNBC, NBC’s station in New York, where she was the station’s Vice President and News Director since March 1996. She joined WNBC in 1989 as Assistant News Director. From 1982 to 1989, Madison worked at KHOU-TV in Houston, Texas, KOTV-TV in Tulsa, Oklahoma and WFAA-TV in Dallas, Texas. After graduating from Vassar College, Madison began her career as reporter and editor at newspapers in New York and Dallas/Fort Worth.

A native of Harlem, New York, Madison and her husband reside in Los Angeles.

March 2008