NBCUniversal today announced the permanent appointment of Mark Marshall as Chairman, Global Advertising Partnerships. He has served as interim Chairman since May, when former ad sales chief Linda Yaccarino left the US broadcaster to become CEO of X (then Twitter).
Marshall joined the NBCU sales team in 2014, following a 14-year stint at Turner Broadcasting, reaching the position of SVP and National Sales Manager. At NBCU he served as EVP Entertainment Advertising Sales Group, before being promoted to President, Advertising Sales and Partnerships in 2018.
Then in May this year he was appointed sales chief on an interim basis. Linda Yaccarino’s departure came as some surprise, replacing Elon Musk as Twitter CEO. The social media firm’s new owner had overseen a 50 percent slide in advertising revenues, and Yaccarino’s reputation in the industry was thought likely to reassure advertisers.
As a “veteran sales executive”, Marshall was considered a suitable replacement by NBCU. His interim performance during the Upfronts has secured him the permanent position, where he will report to Mark Lazarus, Chairman, NBCUniversal Media Group.
Marshall led a successful Upfront, according to the broadcaster, closing negotiations with total cash commitments “roughly in line” with 2022. NBCU noted that last year’s Upfront was its highest-grossing to date, and this year’s results kept pace despite economic headwinds and an unfavourable advertising market.
“Mark stepped into this role on an interim basis at one of the most critical times of year for the ad sales business, and over the past three months he has more than proven himself to be the leader NBCU needs to guide this team into the future,” said Lazarus. “Mark’s relationships are second to none, and coupled with his transformative vision, I have no doubt that under his leadership we will continue to reinvent and innovate the sales business while super-serving our clients and partners.”
