Comcast names Dana Strong new Sky Group CEO

Comcast has named Dana Strong the new CEO of the Sky Group and said the current CEO Jeremy Darroch will move to an executive chairman role.

Strong most recently served as president of consumer services for Comcast Cable where she headed up the company’s residential business and led new product and market launches in broadband, video, home security and mobile. She has years of leadership experience in European and other international markets, previously serving as president and COO of Virgin Media in the U.K., chief transformation officer of Liberty Global, CEO of UPC Ireland and chief operating officer of AUSTAR in Australia.

Strong will report directly to Comcast CEO Brian Roberts.

“I am delighted that Dana will be taking the helm at Sky,” said Roberts in a statement. “She is an accomplished executive with an extraordinary ability to transform, inspire and drive positive change. She quickly made her mark on our U.S. business, driving growth and innovation with an unwavering commitment to our customers. Her global experience and vision coupled with her leadership and track record at some of the largest media and telecommunications companies in the world make her the perfect leader for Sky.”

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Darroch, who’s been CEO of Sky since 2007 and Group CFO since 2004, will serve as executive chairman through 2021. Comcast said that during Darroch’s tenure as chief executive for Sky, the pay TV provider has become one of the largest in Europe with nearly 24 million subscribers.

“It has been a privilege to lead Sky for 13 years, and an experience that I have looked forward to every day, so my decision to leave has not been easy. But with the business firmly settled into the wider Comcast Corporation and a strong plan in place, now is the right time,” he said in a statement.

In 2018, Comcast acquired Fox’s share of Sky to give it more than 75% ownership of the company.