 Italia Commisso Weinand
EVP, Programming and Human Resources, Mediacom Communications Corp. Italia Commisso Weinand is one the most prominent female executives in the cable industry. Since joining Mediacom Communications as its 3rd employee, Italia has worked alongside her brother and fellow Hall of Famer, Rocco B. Commisso, to build Mediacom into the nation's 8th largest MSO with nearly 1.3 million subscribers across 22 states and over $1.6 billion in annual revenues. As the company embarked on a series of major acquisitions, Italia's insight and experience proved to be invaluable. She established the company's early Operations, Human Resources, Marketing and Programming policies. Understanding Mediacom needed to attract and retain an employee workforce of dedicated and proficient individuals, she developed a family-oriented, corporate culture based on fairness, diversity and career growth. It is a policy that has paid off, as Mediacom has grown from less than 20 employees in 1996 to over 4,700 today. Her reputation as a groundbreaker and risk-taker is an inspiration to those who work with her. Likewise, her business acumen has contributed to Mediacom delivering on its promise to close the digital divide by providing broadband-based video, data and voice services to America's smaller cities and towns. As a leader on programming issues and a former board member of NCTC, she has fought for economic fairness while building a Mediacom video brand comparable to the largest MSOs. Italia began her 37-year cable career at Time Warner, and worked for Comcast immediately prior to becoming a founding member of Mediacom. Throughout her professional life, she has committed herself to numerous charitable causes including Habitat for Humanity, Hope Through Care, Lake Drive School of the Deaf and the Knights of Columbus. A Cable TV Pioneer and Wonder Woman, she serves on the board of The Cable Center, The Emma Bowen Foundation and Mediacom Communications Corporation, and is a past member of Cable Positive and WICT. Italia attended Elizabeth Seton College and Fordham University. She has been married to George Weinand for 24 years and is the mother of a teenage son, John, two stepsons and three step grandchildren. |
