Jeff Shell out at NBC

This is the same Universal that went through the Matt Lauer fiasco, yet Jeff Shell thought it was ok to have a secret affair with a colleague who inconveniently decided to file a complaint. One can only imagine what might have ,prompted that reaction. Had he promised a future and then tried to back out? Has she put it to him, marriage or bust? 

Either way, and whether his actual wife was aware it his affair or not, she now is, along with his children, neighbors and everyone else he knows. Yesterday he was the CEO of NBCUniversal after two decades with Comcast. His career even included replacing Ron Meyer, who himself left in 2020 because of the revelation of an affair!  But today Mr. Shell  is a pariah in the business he spent his career in, that had rewarded him well. Inexplicably, he felt safe in following the path he took. Why?

How does one so mis-read their power and ability to finesse this kind of high profile exposure, even having been close witness of others who failed to do so. None of us are perfect, but a hydrogen bomb has just landed in the life of Jeff Shell and he’s the one who dropped it. 

I so wish for the sake of his family that he’d read “What Goes Around Comes Around – A Guide To How Life REALLY Works,” before embarking down that road.

Find Rob’s book & ebook “What Goes Around Comes Around – A Guide To How Life REALLY Works” at  Amazon or Audible
Buy What Goes Around at Amazon
Kirkus Reviews says:
A stable, nonpreachy, objective voice makes the book stand apart from others in the genre. A successful guide that uses anecdotes of real human experiences to reveal powerful truths about life.

Jeff Shell out as NBCUniversal CEO after probe into inappropriate relationship

By Mrinmay Dey  and Dawn Chmielewski

April 23 (Reuters) – NBCUniversal Chief Executive Jeff Shell is leaving after acknowledging an inappropriate relationship with a woman in the company, following a complaint that prompted an investigation, parent company Comcast Corp (CMCSA.O) said on Sunday.

“I had an inappropriate relationship with a woman in the company, which I deeply regret,” Shell said in a statement.

“I’m truly sorry I let my Comcast and NBCUniversal colleagues down.”

Shell, who had been with Comcast for about two decades, leaves immediately. He did not respond to a request for comment.

The former chairman of NBCUniversal Film and Entertainment took over as CEO in 2020, replacing Steve Burke. He oversaw the media company’s broad portfolio of businesses, including the Universal film studio and television business, the Peacock streaming service and Universal’s theme parks.

Comcast did not immediately name a successor.

At a time when rival studios were investing heavily in streaming in a race to add subscribers, Shell adopted a more conservative approach.

Peacock, conceived under his predecessor, would preserve the familiar television business model – which relies on advertising – instead of relying exclusively on subscription revenue. The subscription approach has been embraced by Netflix Inc. (NFLX.O), which long avoided commercials.

Peacock has made gains, though it is smaller than rival services. It surpassed 20 million subscribers in the fourth quarter of 2022, thanks to the FIFA World Cup and the addition of NBC shows. The division’s losses also deepened from a year earlier.

That is one challenge Shell’s successor will confront, along with the decline of the traditional television business.

Shell’s senior team will now report directly to Comcast President Mike Cavanagh, Comcast said in a company-wide email that was made available to Reuters.

“When our principles and policies are violated, we will always move quickly to take appropriate action, as we have done here,” Cavanagh and Comcast CEO Brian Roberts said in the email.

Comcast said the investigation into the complaint against Shell was led by outside counsel. It did not provide other details.

In 2020, NBCUniversal Vice Chairman Ron Meyer left the company after disclosing a settlement with a woman with whom he had a consensual affair years ago.

Shell joins other high-profile executives who have lost their jobs in recent years over accusations of improper conduct or sexual harassment.

In 2019, Warner Bros Chairman and Chief Executive Kevin Tsujihara resigned as one of Hollywood’s most powerful studios investigated a report that he improperly helped an actress obtain roles at the studio.

Kirkus Reviews, the gold-standard for independent & accurate reviews, has this to say about

What Goes Around Comes Around:

A successful guide that uses anecdotes to reveal powerful truths about life.  

The stable, positive, non-preachy and objective voice makes the book stand apart from others in the genre.

~ Kirkus Reviews

“The author gives readers not just points or principles to ponder, but real human experiences that demonstrate them!”
– Kirkus Reviews
Buy What Goes Around at Amazon

“I’ve read a number of books that focus on sharing a similar message, including “The Secret” by Rhonda Byrne, “The Answer” by John Assaraf & Murray Smith, “The Celestine Prophecy” by James Redfield, “Think and Grow Rich,” by Napoleon Hill, and I must say that I find Rob’s to be my favorite.” – Sheryl Woodhouse, founder of Livelihood Matters LLC

Jeff Shell out at NBC

Jeff Shell out at NBC

…And here is a genuine story about how even minimal effort to bring comfort to another human can result in outsized and wonderful results. How different the world might seem to many if that kind of true effort actually ran wild! It is a thought worth considering. It is also a siren call to each of us!

New research shows small gestures matter even more than we may think.

I wonder about when this train actually went off the rail and Balwani and Holmes both knew it. It reminds me somewhat of Bernie Madoff’s $20 Billion deception in that if Bernie had fessed up when his performance first went south and he tried to cover it up, only to make it worse, he might largely have been forgiven and returned to his original trading business. But he just couldn’t do that and as time went on…well we know the result.

Was there a similar trajectory for this pair? A time when they looked at each other and said, “Uh oh!” Not that it matters really. Somewhere along the way they knew what was going down and kept it going for as long as they could. Now have to face the music as eventually, always is the case. It is simply “The Law of Cause and Effect” unfolding. Hopefully for them there will be less tragic endings than Bernie. It depends on how they handle what they have wrought! We’ll see.