NBCUniversal promotes Rachel Smith to EVP of Unscripted Content

NBCUniversal has promoted Rachel Smith to Executive Vice President of Unscripted Content, Lifestyle and Documentaries. Smith, who has been serving in the role on an interim basis since June, will oversee all unscripted lifestyle, true crime, documentary and docuseries content development and current programming across the company’s entertainment portfolio, including NBC, Bravo, E!, Oxygen True Crime, Syfy, Universal Kids, USA Network, and Peacock.

“Rachel is an exceptional leader who has created many brand-defining original programs for NBCUniversal. Her expertise in storytelling and keen eye for intriguing personalities, arenas and trends, along with her deep relationships, make Rachel an excellent addition to our content leadership team,”  said Frances Berwick, Chairman of NBCUniversal Entertainment, to whom Smith will report.

Prior to this role, Smith was Executive Vice President of Unscripted Development for all lifestyle, crime and documentary programming for NBC. There, the executive worked on titles such as “Casey Anthony: Where the Truth Lies,” “The Rebellious Life of Rosa Parks,” “Queen’s Court” and “Paris in Love,” among others. Moreover, she has contributed to the development and production of multiple NBC shows such as the “Real Housewives” franchise, the “Below Deck” franchise, “Summer House,” “Southern Charm,” and “Million Dollar Listing.”

Prior to her time at NBC, Smith was Vice President of Original Programming at BBC America, working on unscripted originals like “Wild Things with Dominic Monaghan” and “Richard Hammond’s Crash Course,” in addition to several specials in relation to the “Planet Earth,” “Top Gear” and “Doctor Who” franchises.