Brian L. Roberts

Brian L. Roberts
Born (1959-06-28) June 28, 1959
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Residence Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Nationality United States
Education Germantown Academy
Alma mater Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
Occupation Chairman and CEO of Comcast
Salary US$26.4 million (2014)
Net worth Decrease US$1.57 billion (August 2016)[1]
Spouse(s) Aileen Kennedy Roberts (3 children)
Parent(s) Suzanne (née Fleisher) and Ralph J. Roberts

Brian L. Roberts (born June 28, 1959) is an American businessman.

Roberts is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Comcast Corporation, an American company providing cable, entertainment, and communications products and services. He is the son of Comcast founder Ralph J. Roberts. Under his leadership, Comcast has grown into a global Fortune 50 company uniquely positioned at the intersection of media and technology with two primary businesses, Comcast Cable and NBCUniversal. [2]

Early life and education

Roberts was born into a Jewish family[3][4] in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Ralph J. Roberts, the founder of Comcast Corporation, and Suzanne Fleisher, a former actress and playwright.[5] Roberts graduated from the Germantown Academy and earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1981, and immediately began working for Comcast.[6]

Career

Roberts is Chairman and CEO of Comcast Corporation, and personally controls 33 1/3% of the voting rights of the company.[7] He was named President of Comcast Corporation in 1990 when the company had $657 million in annual revenue. Comcast Corporation’s annual revenue has since grown to $74.5 billion.[2]

Roberts is Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA), and a former treasurer.[8] Roberts served as Chairman of NCTA from 1995 to 1996, when the landmark deregulatory 1996 Telecommunications Act became law.

In 2014, Roberts received US$26.4 million in compensation,[9] and in 2015, his net worth was US$1.7 billion.[1]

Awards and philanthropy

Institutional Investor Magazine named Roberts as its top vote-getter for three years in a row (2004–06) in the Cable & Satellite category of their America's Best CEOs annual survey; and named Comcast as one of America's Most Shareholder-Friendly Companies in 2006.

Roberts was the recipient of the 2004 Humanitarian Award from the Simon Wiesenthal Center, and was the 2002 Walter Kaitz Foundation Honoree of the Year for his commitment to diversity in the cable industry. The Police Athletic League of Philadelphia honored Roberts with their 2002 award for his commitment to youth programs and community partnerships.[10]

In 2001, Roberts was awarded the USC Shoah Foundation Institute's 2011 Ambassador for Humanity Award.[11]

The Aileen K. and Brian L. Roberts Foundation Foundation was one of the largest contributors to the restoration of the Alfred W. Fleisher Memorial Synagogue at Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, named in the honor of his maternal grandfather.[12]

Maccabiah Games

Being an All-American squash player and of Jewish descent, Roberts participated in the Maccabiah Games in Israel, earning a Gold Medal with the U.S. Squash team in 2005, and Silver Medals in 1981, 1985, 1997, and 2009.[10][13] On October 21, 2012, Roberts was honored by Maccabi USA as a 'Legend of the Maccabiah.'[14]

Politics

Roberts was a founding co-chair of Philadelphia 2000, the nonpartisan host committee for the 2000 Republican National Convention. The Pennsylvania Report named Roberts to the 2003 "The Pennsylvania Report Power 75" list of influential figures in Pennsylvania politics, calling him "Pennsylvania’s most powerful businessman", and noted his influence with Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell.[15]

In 2003, Roberts was named to the PoliticsPA list of politically influential individuals.[16]

Since 2006, Roberts has donated more than $76,000 to Democratic candidates, and $13,500 to Republican candidates.[17]

In December 2009, Roberts wrote a letter to President Barack Obama, endorsing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.[18]

Personal life

Roberts and his wife, Aileen Kennedy Roberts, live in Philadelphia with their three children.[19] Aileen is the director of the Barnes Foundation.[20][21] Roberts' father is late Comcast founder Ralph J. Roberts, and his mother is Suzanne Roberts. In 2010, Roberts presented his mother, along with his brother Douglas and his father, Women's Image Network Awards Lifetime Achievement Award.(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4K-1aUlm6w).http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/20/business/media/ralph-roberts-cable-tv-pioneer-who-built-comcast-dies-at-95.html?_r=0

References

  1. 1 2 Brian Roberts profile, Forbes.com; accessed August 14, 2016.
  2. 1 2 "Comcast Biography of Mr. Brian L. Roberts". Retrieved 10 June 2016.
  3. ↑ Jewish Daily Forward: Top 50 Jews 2012: "Brian Roberts" retrieved December 25, 2012
  4. ↑ Jewish Daily Forward: "Brian Roberts' Jewish Roots and Outsized Ambition Drive Comcast's Rise in Media", forward.com, March 2, 2014.
  5. ↑ Kellie Patrick Gates (February 14, 2013). "Love: Suzanne (Fleisher) Roberts & Ralph J. Roberts". Philadelphia Inquirer.
  6. ↑ Philadelphia Inquirer: "A continual spotlight awaits a 'very private' Brian Roberts AT&T deal catapults Comcast's chief to the industry forefront" By Benjamin Y. Lowe December 21, 2001
  7. ↑ Comcast Corporation Website: "Brian L. Roberts, Chairman and CEO, Comcast Corporation", comcast.com; retrieved February 12, 2014
  8. ↑ "U.S. Cable Industry Launches 'Take Control. It's Easy' Campaign to Help Parents Manage Their Family's TV Viewing" April 26, 2005
  9. ↑ "Comcast - Mr. Brian L. Roberts Compensation". Retrieved 10 June 2016.
  10. 1 2 "Brian L. Roberts" (Press release). Retrieved April 21, 2012.
  11. ↑ Michael Elkin Jewish Exponent: "Shoah Salute: Personal Meaning for Comcast CEO", jewishexponent.com, May 4, 2011; accessed June 20, 2015.
  12. ↑ Eastern State Penitentiary: "Funders for the Synagogue Restoration", easternstate.org; retrieved February 19, 2014.
  13. ↑ Michael Elkin "Shoah Salute: Personal Meaning for Comcast CEO", jewishexponent.com, May 4, 2011; accessed June 20, 2015.
  14. ↑ Maccabi USA: "2012 Legends of Maccabiah"; retrieved December 20, 2014.
  15. ↑ "The PA Report 'Power 75' List" (PDF). Pennsylvania Report. Capital Growth, Inc. January 31, 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-09-20.
  16. ↑ "Power 50". PoliticsPA. The Publius Group. 2003. Archived from the original on 2004-04-17.
  17. ↑ Hart, Kim (2012-05-09). "Comcast-NBC deal finds campaign cash converging with Obama's principles". The Hill. Archived from the original on December 7, 2009. Retrieved 2014-04-18.
  18. ↑ Roberts endorses PPACA, politico.com; accessed June 19, 2015.
  19. ↑ Brian L. Roberts profile, referenceforbusiness.com; accessed June 20, 2015.
  20. ↑ Aileen Kennedy Roberts profile, businessweek.com; retrieved July 8, 2012.
  21. ↑ "Philadelphia Award 2012 - Joseph Neubauer and Aileen Roberts were honored for their work on the new Barnes", phillymag,com, May 31, 2012
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