NBCUniversal's CEO exits the company after an “inappropriate relationship”

Jeff Shell, Chief Executive Officer of NBCUniversal, has mutually agreed with Comcast that he will depart effective immediately following an investigation led by an outside counsel into a complaint of inappropriate conduct. No further details about the nature of this inappropriate conduct were provided.

“Today is my last day as CEO of NBCUniversal. I had an inappropriate relationship with a woman in the company, which I deeply regret. I am truly sorry I let my Comcast and NBCUniversal colleagues down. They are the most talented people in the business and the opportunity to work with them the last 19 years has been a privilege,”  Shell declared in a statement.

Shell had been with the company for almost two decades and oversaw a number of key areas, including the company's television and film businesses. He took over as CEO of NBCUniversal in January 2020, and he was in charge of the company’s theme parks, its Peacock streaming service, sports production operations, television stations group, and entertainment and news television networks.

Following Shell's departure, Comcast named Mike Cavanagh as the new CEO of NBCUniversal. Cavanagh had previously served as the CFO of Comcast Corporation and was also responsible for overseeing the company's cable networks and theme parks. In his new role, Cavanagh will oversee NBCUniversal's television and film businesses, as well as its theme parks and other assets.

“We are disappointed to share this news with you. We built this company on a culture of integrity. Nothing is more important than how we treat each other. You should count on your leaders to create a safe and respectful workplace. When our principles and policies are violated, we will always move quickly to take appropriate action, as we have done here,”  Cavanagh and Brian Roberts, CEO of Comcast, said in a separate statement.