New leadership additions will help to shape VERSANT’s brand, growth, and strategy
NEW YORK – June 11, 2025 – VERSANT today announced a series of senior leadership appointments across its marketing, news editorial standards, technology operations and legal divisions to drive the company’s strategic vision forward.
Frank Tanki will be named Chief Marketing Officer for Entertainment and Sports. A seasoned marketer, Tanki brings more than 20 years of leadership experience driving brand transformation and audience growth across media, entertainment, and sports. He most recently founded TNK Marketing, advising major consumer, experiential and sports brands on strategic growth planning, consumer engagement and revenue optimization. Previously, he held senior media industry roles, including at Anthem Sports and Entertainment and broad executive positions at Viacom, where he spearheaded brand reinventions, franchise expansions, and omnichannel marketing strategies to deliver significant growth across linear, streaming, digital, and live events.
Tom Clendenin has been appointed Chief Marketing Officer for CNBC and MSNBC, overseeing the marketing efforts for both brands. A four-time Emmy Award-winning marketer, Clendenin brings deep expertise in brand development and audience engagement. He most recently served as SVP and Chief Marketing Officer for NBCUniversal News Group, leading multiplatform campaigns across the company’s news portfolio. He previously spent 15 years shaping CNBC’s brand across its business units and has held senior marketing roles at ESPN, Aeropostale, and Old Navy.
Brian Carovillano will serve as Senior Vice President, Standards & Editorial Partnerships for News. Since 2022, he has led the NBCUniversal News Group Standards team, safeguarding the credibility of leading cross-platform news organizations, including NBC News, MSNBC, CNBC, and Telemundo. He also played a key role in elections coverage, working closely with the NBC News Decision Desk and serving on the board of the National Elections Pool. Prior to NBCU, he held senior editorial roles at The Associated Press, including global managing editor. Under his leadership, his teams earned top journalism honors including Pulitzer Prizes.
Nate Balogh will serve as the Executive Vice President & Chief Information Officer, leading all Business & Technical Operations. In this role, he will be responsible for leading Business Product & Operations, Distribution & Media Operations, Workplace Operations & Facilities, Technology Management & Strategy and Cyber Security. With 26 years of experience, including most recently as SVP & CIO for the NBCUniversal Media Group, Balogh brings a deep understanding of media operations and technology.
Brian Duffy will take on the role of Vice President, Technical Operations, reporting to Balogh. With over 20 years at NBCU and a strong track record in On-Air Operations leadership roles, Duffy will lead the development of VERSANT’s Distribution and Media Operations Technology capabilities, ensuring a smooth transition and strong foundation for Day 1 operations.
Kyle Strickland will serve as the Senior Vice President, Business Product & Operations, reporting to Balogh. He will be responsible for Product and Architecture across HR, Finance, Ad Sales, Marketing, and Content Supply Chain as well as the Business Operations teams supporting the News and Sports divisions. Strickland was with NBCUniversal for nearly 15 years in a variety of roles spanning Technology, Operations, and Engineering as well as spending a few years as a Media Consultant with Cognizant.
Jayshree Mahtani will serve as SVP, Associate General Counsel for Corporate Governance, M&A, and Commercial Transactions and Assistant Corporate Secretary leading the corporate and commercial legal functions, overseeing securities, corporate governance, M&A, commercial transactions, and legal operations. A seasoned legal executive with more than 15 years of experience in technology, content, and media industries, Mahtani has advised boards and senior leadership on a wide range of legal and strategic matters. She most recently served as General Counsel and SVP of Operations at Skillshare and previously held senior legal roles at Shutterstock and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.
Andrew Borteck will be appointed SVP and Associate General Counsel, Sports, Digital and Direct-to-Consumer, leading the legal team supporting VERSANT’s Sports, Digital and Direct-to-Consumer businesses, including Fandango, SportsEngine, and GolfNow. Since 2013, Borteck has supported NBC Sports and Sports Next businesses including NBC Sports’ and Olympics’ digital and technology transactions, sports rights acquisitions and overseeing business and legal affairs for the Sports Next businesses.
These appointments strengthen the company’s senior leadership team as it focuses on building a modern, audience-focused business while positioning itself for long-term growth, innovation, and impact.
About VERSANT
VERSANT, Comcast Corporation’s (NASDAQ: CMCSA) planned spin-off, will be a leading independent publicly traded media company comprised of most of NBCUniversal’s cable television networks, including USA Network, CNBC, MSNBC, Oxygen, E!, SYFY and Golf Channel along with complementary digital assets Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, GolfNow, GolfPass, and SportsEngine. The well-capitalized company will have significant scale as a pure-play set of assets anchored by leading news, sports and entertainment content. The spin-off is expected to be completed during 2025, subject to the satisfaction of customary conditions.
