Hilary Smith Promoted to Head of Communications for NBCUniversal Entertainment & Digital Networks and Integrated Media Division

NEW YORK, Nov. 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- NBCUniversal executive Hilary Smith has been promoted to the position of Senior Vice President, Communications for NBCUniversal, Entertainment & Digital Networks and Integrated Media (E&DN/IM). In her new role, Smith will oversee strategic communications and serve as the lead spokesperson for the division, which includes Telemundo, mun2, Bravo Media, Oxygen Media, Style Media, Sprout, DailyCandy, Fandango, iVillage, Television Without Pity and the Integrated Media group. She will report directly to Lauren Zalaznick, Chairman of the division. Smith replaces Cameron Blanchard, who was recently named SVP of Corporate Communications for NBCUniversal.

"Hilary is an extraordinary communicator who brings immense creativity and strategic thinking to this role," said Zalaznick. "She has been a valuable member of my organization for the last several years, proven to be especially talented when it comes to leading communications across a portfolio of businesses, and is ideally suited for this role."

Most recently, Smith oversaw communications for E&DN/IM's digital businesses, Fandango, DailyCandy, iVillage and Television Without Pity. She also led communications, as well as consumer and trade marketing for the company's Integrated Media business – which includes the company-wide ad sales and marketing initiatives: Women at NBCU, Green is Universal, Healthy at NBCU and Hispanics at NBCU.

A 14-year veteran of NBCUniversal, Smith spent a substantial portion of her career as Vice President of Media Relations in the company's Corporate Communications department. She was instrumental in managing the press for several of NBC's major business transactions, including the NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment merger, as well as the acquisitions of the television networks, Telemundo and Bravo. She joined NBC in 1998 as Senior Manager of public relations for the award-winning network news magazine "Dateline NBC," where she was chief spokeswoman for the broadcast, as well as publicist for news anchors Jane Pauley and Stone Phillips.

Smith has 20 years of experience in the public relations industry. Before joining NBCUniversal, she was a Press Manager at CBS News, responsible for publicizing the CBS network news magazine "48 Hours," as well as "CBS News Sunday Morning" and "CBS News Saturday Morning." Prior to her career in television, Smith worked at Citibank Securities Inc., where she joined in 1993 as a Manager of public relations for the bank's investment banking division.

Smith is a member of The Paley Center For Media's "Media Council," as well as a member of Step Up Women's Network, a non-profit organization dedicated to connecting and advancing women and girls. She graduated from Middlebury College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. Smith resides in Manhattan with her husband and two children.

SOURCE NBCUniversal