Comcast’s New Spinoff Versant Names Star-Studded Board Ahead of Launch

Comcast is making major moves to launch Versant, its soon-to-be independent cable networks company — and now we know who’s going to be steering the ship.

On Thursday, Comcast announced the full slate of board members for Versant, the media spinoff that’s set to take over a big chunk of NBCUniversal’s cable portfolio, including MSNBC, CNBC, USA Network, SYFY, E!, Golf Channel, and even digital brands like Fandango and Rotten Tomatoes.

The official spinoff is expected to wrap up by the end of this year, and when it does, Versant will be a publicly traded company with its own leadership and identity. But make no mistake: Comcast will still keep a big say, thanks to CEO Brian Roberts’ voting rights.

Mark Lazarus will lead the pack as Versant’s CEO, moving up from his former role as NBCUniversal Media Group chairman.

“This is a big milestone,” Lazarus said in a statement. “We’re building a modern media company, and this group brings the kind of diverse experience we need to get it right.”

And here’s the rest of the squad:

• David Novak – Former Yum! Brands CEO (think Taco Bell and KFC) and current Comcast board member, who will leave his Comcast role to serve as Versant’s board chair.
• Rebecca Campbell – Former Disney exec, now interim CEO of arts company Meow Wolf.
• Creighton Condon – M&A legal expert and senior counsel at A&O Shearman.
• Michael Conway – Former CEO of Starbucks North America, also tied to Johnson & Johnson and Campbell Soup in the past.
• David Eun – Co-founder of Alakai Group and AI advisor at Kanza AI, with a strong innovation background from Samsung.
• Gerald Hassell – Former CEO of Bank of New York Mellon and ex-Comcast board member.
• Scott Mahoney – CEO of golf apparel brand Peter Millar, also linked to Polo Ralph Lauren and Fleet Feet.
• Maritza Montiel – Longtime Deloitte exec, currently on boards for McCormick and Royal Caribbean.
• Len Potter – Founder of Wildcat Capital Management and biotech venture investor with Vida Ventures.

Versant will hold Comcast’s traditional cable network properties, splitting them off from the core NBC broadcast network, streaming platform Peacock, and other parts of the business.

In a move echoing similar decisions by Warner Bros. Discovery, Comcast is giving these legacy cable brands their own standalone company. That lets it focus more clearly on fast-growing digital and streaming platforms — while still letting Versant chase deals and adapt on its own terms.

Lazarus emphasized that tech will be central to Versant’s evolution — especially AI.

“None of us are going to avoid AI,” he said. “It’s going to reshape media, and we’ve got someone on board who’s already neck-deep in it.”

That “someone” is David Eun, and his AI chops could help Versant stay sharp in an industry increasingly shaped by algorithms, automation, and audience data.

CNBC and Bloomberg contributed to this report.