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Wikipedia

Bob Wright

November 02, 2023

For other people named Bob Wright, see Bob Wright (disambiguation).

Robert Charles Wright (born April 23, 1943) is an American lawyer, businessman, lobbyist, and author. He is a former NBC executive, having served as president and CEO from 1986 to 2001, and chairman and CEO from 2001[6] until he retired in 2007.[7] He has been credited with overseeing the broadcast network's expansion into a media conglomerate and leading the company to record earnings in the 1990s.[8] Prior to NBC, he held several posts at General Electric in the 1960s, 70s and 80s. He served as President and CEO of GE Capital, GE Financial Services 1983 to 1986 and served as GE's vice chairman until he retired from that role in 2008.[9]

Bob Wright
Wright in 2015
Born (1943-04-23) April 23, 1943 (age 80)
Hempstead, New York, U.S.
Alma materCollege of the Holy Cross (BA)
University of Virginia (LLB)
Occupations
  • Lawyer
  • businessman
  • author
Known for
Board member ofPolo Ralph Lauren[1]
AMC Networks[2]
New York-Presbyterian Hospital (life trustee)[3]
Palm Beach Civic Association (Chairman and CEO)[4]
Spouses
Suzanne Wright
​
​
(m. 1967; died 2016)​
Susan Keenan Wright
​
(m. 2017)​
Children3[5]

In 2005, Wright and his late wife, Suzanne Wright, founded Autism Speaks.[10] In 2016, after his wife's death from pancreatic cancer, Wright established the Suzanne Wright Foundation, which funds research for pancreatic cancer.[11] Through the Suzanne Wright Foundation, he led the initiative to establish a Health Advanced Research Projects Agency, or HARPA, a government research agency modeled after the U.S. Department of Defense's DARPA.[12] On March 15, 2022, Public Law 117-103 was enacted authorizing the establishment of ARPA-H within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.[13]

Early life and education edit

Wright was born on April 23, 1943, in Hempstead, New York, on Long Island,[5] the only child of Catherine Drum Wright and Gerald Franklin Wright.[14] After graduating from Chaminade High School in Mineola, New York, Wright enrolled at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts.[5] He originally studied pre-med, but later changed his studies to major in psychology and minor in history.[5] He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1965.[5] Wright earned an LL.B. from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1968.[15]

Career edit

Early career edit

Wright began his career with General Electric as a staff lawyer in 1969.[16] The following year, he left GE to take a judicial clerkship for a federal judge in New Jersey.[9][17] Wright joined GE again in 1973 as a lawyer for the company's plastics unit, where he later took on several management positions.[9] GE made a deal to acquire radio, broadcast TV and cable properties[18][19] of Atlanta, Georgia-based Cox Communications in 1979[20] and appointed Wright as Cox Cable president[17] and executive vice president of Cox Broadcasting.[21] The deal did not come to fruition, however Wright remained with Cox Cable as president until 1983.[17][21] Under Wright's leadership, Cox Cable launched franchises across the U.S., including franchises in Omaha, Nebraska, Tucson, Arizona, New Orleans, Louisiana, Vancouver, Washington, suburbs near Chicago, Illinois, and Providence, Rhode Island, and a portion of Long Island, New York.[22] Wright was a contemporary of Ted Turner (Turner Broadcasting Systems), John Malone (TCI), Chuck Dolan (Cablevision Systems) and Ralph J. Roberts (Comcast) during the early days of cable television.[23] Wright left Cox to join GE once again in 1983, when GE chairman and CEO Jack Welch hired him to lead the company's housewares and audio units.[17] He was promoted to president of GE Financial Services[24][21] from 1984 to 1986.[9]

NBC and NBC Universal edit

GE named Wright the president and CEO of the National Broadcasting Company when the company acquired the broadcast network in 1986.[6][25] He succeeded Grant Tinker in the role.[17] He became chairman and CEO of NBC in 2001.[6] He was named chairman and CEO of NBC Universal in 2004.[6]

Upon succeeding Tinker, Wright's main mission became finding new areas of business in addition to running a television network,[26] and transformed the network into a media conglomerate.[27] NBC launched CNBC in 1989 and MSNBC in 1996.[28] Both are examples of the strategic partnerships NBC created under Wright to improve distribution and content.[29] CNBC included a partnership with Dow Jones allowing delivery of local business and financial news in Europe and Asia; and MSNBC was a venture with Microsoft that launched a new 24-hour news network and accompanying news website to combine the two mediums.[24][30][31]

Wright is credited with leading NBC during a time when the company became a powerful media leader, driving the company to record earnings in the 1990s.[8] The network reported $5 billion in revenues and nearly more $1 billion in operating profits in 1996.[8] Also under Wright, NBC acquired Universal Pictures, Telemundo[28] and Bravo.[32]

In the early- and mid-90s, Wright and NBC led efforts to persuade lawmakers and regulators to relax rules preventing networks from becoming multichannel program providers,[33] obtaining certain financial interests and syndication.[34]

General Electric named Wright as vice chairman of NBC's then-parent company in 2000.[16]

Under Wright, NBC completed its acquisition of Vivendi Universal Entertainment in 2004.[35] Led by Wright, the newly formed NBCUniversal controlled seven cable networks, including USA Network and Sci-Fi Channel); 29 TV stations; film and TV studios; and theme parks.[35]

During his career with NBC, Wright was active in opposing digital piracy, and was a founding member of the Global Leadership Group for the Business Alliance to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy. In that role, Wright spoke at the Global Congress on Combating Counterfeiting and Piracy in Geneva, Switzerland, pushing for lawmakers and businesses to curb rising intellectual property theft in the digital age,[36] and delivered a speech titled "Technology and the Rule of Law in the Digital Age" at the Media Institute in 2004.[37] He also penned an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal titled "Stop IP theft".[38] Wright's speech at the Media Institute was published in the Notre Dame Journal of Law, Ethics & Public Policy.[39] His 2002 speech for the Legatus Tri-State Chapter on issues of faith and business was reprinted in 50 High-Impact Speeches and Remarks.[40]

Wright retired from NBC in 2007.[7] When Wright first took the helm at the network, it saw operating profits of $400 million.[17] In 2007, when he retired, NBC generated $3.1 billion in profit on $15.4 billion in revenue.[41] He remained vice chairman of GE until his retirement from that role in 2008.[42]

Autism Speaks edit

See also: Autism Speaks

One of Wright's grandchildren, Christian, was diagnosed with autism, prompting him and his wife, Suzanne, to found an advocacy group.[10] The couple launched Autism Speaks in 2005, and Wright became its chairman.[10] The Wrights' organization merged with Autism Coalition for Research and Education in 2005, National Alliance for Autism Research in 2006 and Cure Autism Now in 2007.[43][44] In its first 9 years, Autism Speaks invested a half-billion dollars, focusing on science and research.[10] The organization helped persuade the U.S. government to invest billions in autism research;[7] as of 2014, Congress had dedicated more than $3 billion for autism research and monitoring.[10] During Wright's tenure, the organization teamed up with Google in 2014 on the MSSNG project to sequence a database of autism genomes.[45][46] Wright resigned as chairman of Autism Speaks in May 2015; as of February 2016, he remained on the board as a co-founder of the organization and on its executive committee.[47][48] His book, The Wright Stuff: from NBC to Autism Speaks, written with Diane Mermigas, was published March 29, 2016.

The Suzanne Wright Foundation edit

Bob Wright is Founder and Chairman of the Suzanne Wright Foundation, established in honor of his late wife, Suzanne, who died from pancreatic cancer on July 29, 2016.[49] The Suzanne Wright Foundation launched CodePurple, a national awareness and advocacy campaign to fight pancreatic cancer.[50] Pancreatic cancer has the highest mortality rate of all major cancers. With no screening tools,[51] the mortality rate is 92% and has seen virtually no improvement in more than 40 years.[52] Through advocacy and awareness, the foundation's goal was to accelerate discovery of detection tools, better treatments, and ultimately, a cure for pancreatic cancer.

The Suzanne Wright Foundation proposed a national health policy initiative to establish HARPA, the Health Advanced Research Projects Agency. HARPA would exist with HHS and leverage federal research assets and private sector tools to drive medical breakthroughs for diseases, like pancreatic cancer, that have not benefited from the current system. HARPA is modeled after the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the gold-standard for innovation and accountability. DARPA, an agency within the Department of Defense, developed The Internet, Voice Recognition Technology, GPS navigation, Night vision, Robotic Prostheses, Stealth Technology. DARPA's success proves there is an effective government model for translating science to product. HARPA's identical operating principles, built on urgency, leadership, high-impact investments and accountability, would advance scientific research "from bench to bedside." HARPA would work within an innovation ecosystem that includes: the commercial market; biotech and healthcare companies; venture capital and philanthropy; academic institutions; and other government and regulatory agencies.[53]

On May 22, 2018, The Suzanne Wright Foundation premiered their film The Patients Are Waiting: How HARPA Will Change Lives, in New York City. The film screening was followed by a panel hosted by Maria Bartiromo, Anchor and Global Markets Editor, FOX Business Network – FOX News Channel. Panelists included Bob Wright, Dr. Herbert Pardes, Executive Vice Chairman of NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital; Former Director NIMH, Dr. Geoffrey Ling, Col. (Ret.) Prof. of Neurology, Johns Hopkins; Founder & Former Director, DARPA BTO, Jessica Morris, Co-founder of OurBrainBank, and Karen Reeves, President & CMO, AZTherapies.

On March 15, 2022, Public Law 117-103 was enacted authorizing the establishment of ARPA-H within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.[13]

Lee Equity Partners edit

Lee Equity Partners, a private equity firm run by financier Thomas H. Lee, announced in January 2008 that Wright would join the company as a senior advisor.[28] Due to Wright's background with GE Financial Services and NBC, Wright was brought on to advise in media and financial sector deals.[28][54]

Boards and affiliations edit

Wright has served on numerous boards, councils and committees. As of February 2016, he sits on the board of directors for Polo Ralph Lauren;[1] Autism Speaks, an autism advocacy group he co-founded with his wife Suzanne;[47] AMC Networks;[2] Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation;[55] and Palm Beach Fellowship of Christians & Jews.[56] He is chairman and CEO of Palm Beach Civic Association.[4] He is a life trustee of the New York-Presbyterian Hospital.[3]

Honors and awards edit

Wright has accepted various awards and honors during his career in media. He was inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame in 1996,[57] the Cable Center's Cable Hall of Fame in 2007[58] and AAF's Advertising Hall of Fame in 2009.[59] He received the "Gold Medal Award" from International Radio & Television Society Foundation in 1997,[60] the "Steven J. Ross Humanitarian of the Year Award" of UJA-Federation of New York in 1998,[61][62] "Public Service Award" from the Ad Council in 2002,[63] Broadcasters' Foundation's "Golden Mike Award" in 2003,[64] Media Institute's 2004 "Freedom of Speech Award",[65] "Humanitarian Award" from the Simon Wiesenthal Center in 2005,[24] "Distinguished Leadership in Business Award" from Columbia Business School in 2005,[66] and the "Visionary Award" from the Museum of Television & Radio in 2006.[67] He also was awarded the Minorities in Broadcasting Training Program's "Striving for Excellence Award".[68] Wright and his wife Suzanne have been honored for their work with Autism Speaks. They were presented with the first-ever "Double Helix Medal" for Corporate Leadership from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory,[69] the New York University "Child Advocacy Award", the Castle Connolly "National Health Leadership Award" and the American Ireland Fund "Humanitarian Award".[70] They received the "Dean's Medal" from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health,[71] the "President's Medal for Excellence" at Boston College's Wall Street Council Tribute Dinner[69] and the "Visionary Award" at the 20th Annual Nantucket Film Festival.[72] The Wrights were named among Time's 100 most influential people in the world in 2008.[73]

Bibliography edit

  • Wright, Bob; Mermigas, Diane (2016). The Wright Stuff: From NBC to Autism Speaks. RosettaBooks. ISBN 978-0-7953-4692-7.

Personal life edit

Wright was married to his wife Suzanne from 1967 until her death from pancreatic cancer in 2016.[74][75] He has three children, Katie, Chris, and Maggie[8] and six grandchildren: Christian, Mattias, Morgan, Maisie, Alex, and Sloan.[76] He married his second wife, Susan Goldwater Keenan, on Sept. 30, 2017.

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Ralph Lauren Corp. (RL)". Reuters. Retrieved February 8, 2016.
  2. ^ a b "AMC Networks Inc. (AMCX)". Reuters. Retrieved February 8, 2016.
  3. ^ a b "Life Trustees at New York-Presbyterian Hospital". New York-Presbyterian Hospital. Retrieved February 12, 2016.
  4. ^ a b "Directors and members". Palm Beach Civic Association. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  5. ^ a b c d e Michael Reardon (2005). "The Profile: Robert C. Wright '65". Holy Cross Magazine. College of the Holy Cross. Retrieved February 8, 2016.
  6. ^ a b c d Ensher, Ellen A.; Murphy, Susan E. (2011). Power Mentoring: How Successful Mentors and Proteges Get the Most of Their Relationships. John Wiley & Sons. p. 71. ISBN 978-1-118-04687-6.
  7. ^ a b c Lowry, Brian (April 25, 2013). "Former NBC topper Bob Wright stayed ahead of the curve on biz changes". Variety. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  8. ^ a b c d Gunther, Marc (February 3, 1997). "How GE made NBC No. 1". Fortune. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  9. ^ a b c d "Executive Profile: Robert C. Wright". Bloomberg. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  10. ^ a b c d e McKenna, Josephine (November 21, 2014). "Pope Francis tackles autism as families seek hope and support". Deseret News. Retrieved February 29, 2016.
  11. ^ "Grieving Husband Launches Foundation to Fight Pancreatic Cancer in Honor of His Late Wife". People. November 16, 2016. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
  12. ^ "About". HARPA. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
  13. ^ a b "ARPA-H". National Institutes of Health (NIH). Retrieved May 9, 2023.
  14. ^ Wright, Bob; Mermigas, Diane (2016). The Wright Stuff: From NBC to Autism Speaks. RosettaBooks. p. 3. ISBN 978-0-7953-4692-7.
  15. ^ Wright, Bob (2003), (PDF), UVALawyer, p. 69, archived from the original (PDF) on October 5, 2016, retrieved February 8, 2016
  16. ^ a b "GE names NBC president vice chairman". Bloomberg News. July 29, 2000. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  17. ^ a b c d e f Taylor III, Alex (March 16, 1987). "GE's hard driver at NBC". Fortune. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  18. ^ Egan, Jack (October 6, 1978). "GE and Cox Broadcasting plan merger". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 14, 2016.
  19. ^ Jones, William H. (February 27, 1979). "Mutual agrees to buy N.Y. radio station". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 14, 2016.
  20. ^ Fabrikant, Geraldine (December 13, 1992). "For NBC, hard times and miscues". The New York Times. Retrieved March 14, 2016.
  21. ^ a b c Sharbutt, Jay (August 22, 1986). "Wright seen as next NBC chief". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  22. ^ "Cox Cable's Wright: Building the future" (PDF). Broadcasting Now. November 1, 1982. p. 87. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  23. ^ "The Hauser Oral and Video History Project: Bob Wright". CableCenter.org. May 15, 2007. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  24. ^ a b c "Biography: Bob Wright". PBS. Retrieved February 8, 2016.
  25. ^ Siklos, Richard; Holson, Laura M. (August 8, 2005). "NBC Universal aims to be prettiest feather in G.E.'s cap". The New York Times. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  26. ^ Boyer, Peter J. (June 6, 1988). "NBC Tries a Quieter Way of Breaking into Cable TV". The New York Times. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  27. ^ "Ex-NBC head Wright joins Lee Equity". Los Angeles Times. February 1, 2008. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  28. ^ a b c d "Ex-NBC chair to join Lee Equity Partners". The New York Times. January 31, 2008. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  29. ^ Mermigas, Diane (December 4, 2000). "NBC continues to thrive in GE's world". Electronic Media. p. 38.
  30. ^ Sherman, Alex; Bass, Dina (July 16, 2012). "MSNBC website renamed NBCNews.com after Microsoft split". Bloomberg News. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  31. ^ Jones, Tim (June 9, 1996). "NBC prepares for '90s, and beyond". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  32. ^ Hofmeister, Sallie (November 5, 2002). "NBC to add new content to Bravo". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  33. ^ Wharton, Dennis (March 29, 1994). "Wright set to argue for easing regs". Variety. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  34. ^ Flint, Joe (January 17, 1994). . Broadcasting & Cable. Archived from the original on May 3, 2016. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  35. ^ a b Carter, Bill (May 13, 2004). "Deal compete, NBC is planning to cross-market". The New York Times. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  36. ^ Cendrowicz, Leo (January 31, 2007). "NBC's Wright" Put anti-piracy at top of agenda". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  37. ^ . Media Institute. Archived from the original on January 27, 2016. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  38. ^ Wright, Bob (November 8, 2005). "Stop IP theft". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  39. ^ Wright, Bob (2005). "Technology and the Role of Law in the Digital Age". Notre Dame Journal of Law, Ethics & Public Policy. 19 (2): 705–710. Retrieved January 11, 2016.
  40. ^ Kador, John (2004). 50 High-Impact Speeches and Remarks. New York: McGraw-Hill. pp. 121–128. ISBN 0-07-142194-7.
  41. ^ "Chief executive says GE won't sell NBC Universal". Associated Press. March 12, 2008. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  42. ^ "Notice of 2008 Annual Meeting and Proxy Statements" (PDF). General Electric. 2008. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  43. ^ . cablecenter.org. Cable Center. 2007. Archived from the original on April 26, 2016. Retrieved February 29, 2016.
  44. ^ "Autism Speaks". philanthropynewsdigest.org. Foundation Center. April 15, 2008. Retrieved February 29, 2016.
  45. ^ Lee, Hailey (November 6, 2014). "Ex-NBC chief Bob Wright paves way for autism research". CNBC. Retrieved February 8, 2016.
  46. ^ "'MSSNG' project, partnership between Autism Speaks and Google for autism research, has official launch". ABC News. December 9, 2014. Retrieved February 8, 2016.
  47. ^ a b Michelle Diament (May 5, 2015). "Autism Speaks sees leadership change". Disability Scoop. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  48. ^ "Board members". Autism Speaks. Retrieved February 29, 2016.
  49. ^ Foundation, The Suzanne Wright. "Bob Wright Launches The Suzanne Wright Foundation to Fight Pancreatic Cancer" (Press release). PR Newswire. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
  50. ^ Stanton, John. "Bob Wright takes on pancreatic cancer after losing wife Suzanne". The Inquirer and Mirror. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
  51. ^ "Can Pancreatic Cancer Be Found Early?". cancer.org. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
  52. ^ "American Cancer Society | Cancer Facts & Statistics". American Cancer Society | Cancer Facts & Statistics. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
  53. ^ "About". HARPA. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
  54. ^ Kouwe, Zachery (February 1, 2008). "Bob Wright to advise on media for buyout big". New York Post. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  55. ^ "Board of directors". Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  56. ^ "Who we are". Palm Beach Fellowship of Christians & Jews. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  57. ^ "Benefits". The New York Times. November 3, 1996. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
  58. ^ "Broadband briefs". CED. April 12, 2007. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
  59. ^ "Advertising Hall of Fame Members". Advertising Hall of Fame. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  60. ^ "Billboard". Billboard. March 29, 1997. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  61. ^ . UJA-Federation of New York. Archived from the original on January 22, 2016. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  62. ^ "Billboard". Billboard. October 4, 1997. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
  63. ^ "Adweek Calendar". Adweek. November 18, 2002. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  64. ^ "Mike Bloomberg to receive Golden Mike Award". Broadcasting & Cable. December 22, 2009. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
  65. ^ Kaplan, David (October 28, 2004). "NBC's Wright cites erosion of intellectual property rights". MediaPost Communications. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
  66. ^ . Columbia Business School. Archived from the original on April 6, 2016. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
  67. ^ Paul J. Gough (February 3, 2006). "NBC Chairman and 'SNL' Honored at Gala". Backstage. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
  68. ^ "SFE Awards". MIBTP. April 30, 2014. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  69. ^ a b . Cable Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on January 31, 2016. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  70. ^ "A Strong Voice: An interview with Suzanne and Bob Wright, co-founders, Autism Speaks". Leaders Magazine. April 2011. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
  71. ^ Gouveia, Georgette (October 31, 2014). "Autism Speaks and Suzanne and Bob Wright ensure the world listens". WAG Mag. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
  72. ^ Gerard, Jeremy (May 14, 2015). "Robert Towne will be feted at 20th Nantucket Film Fest". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
  73. ^ Brokaw, Tom (May 12, 2008). "The 2008 Time 100". Time. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
  74. ^ O'Brien Mackey, Sarah (Spring 2006). "Inspired to make a difference: Bob Wright '65" (PDF). Holy Cross Magazine. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
  75. ^ Kauffman, Ellie (July 30, 2016). "Suzanne Wright, autism advocate, dies at 69". CNN. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
  76. ^ "About the author". RosettaBooks. Retrieved April 4, 2016.

External links edit

November 02, 2023
wright, other, people, named, disambiguation, robert, charles, wright, born, april, 1943, american, lawyer, businessman, lobbyist, author, former, executive, having, served, president, from, 1986, 2001, chairman, from, 2001, until, retired, 2007, been, credite. For other people named Bob Wright see Bob Wright disambiguation Robert Charles Wright born April 23 1943 is an American lawyer businessman lobbyist and author He is a former NBC executive having served as president and CEO from 1986 to 2001 and chairman and CEO from 2001 6 until he retired in 2007 7 He has been credited with overseeing the broadcast network s expansion into a media conglomerate and leading the company to record earnings in the 1990s 8 Prior to NBC he held several posts at General Electric in the 1960s 70s and 80s He served as President and CEO of GE Capital GE Financial Services 1983 to 1986 and served as GE s vice chairman until he retired from that role in 2008 9 Bob WrightWright in 2015Born 1943 04 23 April 23 1943 age 80 Hempstead New York U S Alma materCollege of the Holy Cross BA University of Virginia LLB OccupationsLawyerbusinessmanauthorKnown forCox CableNBCNBC UniversalGeneral ElectricAutism SpeaksThe Suzanne Wright FoundationHARPABoard member ofPolo Ralph Lauren 1 AMC Networks 2 New York Presbyterian Hospital life trustee 3 Palm Beach Civic Association Chairman and CEO 4 SpousesSuzanne Wright m 1967 died 2016 wbr Susan Keenan Wright m 2017 wbr Children3 5 In 2005 Wright and his late wife Suzanne Wright founded Autism Speaks 10 In 2016 after his wife s death from pancreatic cancer Wright established the Suzanne Wright Foundation which funds research for pancreatic cancer 11 Through the Suzanne Wright Foundation he led the initiative to establish a Health Advanced Research Projects Agency or HARPA a government research agency modeled after the U S Department of Defense s DARPA 12 On March 15 2022 Public Law 117 103 was enacted authorizing the establishment of ARPA H within the U S Department of Health and Human Services 13 Contents 1 Early life and education 2 Career 2 1 Early career 2 2 NBC and NBC Universal 2 3 Autism Speaks 2 4 The Suzanne Wright Foundation 2 5 Lee Equity Partners 2 6 Boards and affiliations 3 Honors and awards 4 Bibliography 5 Personal life 6 See also 7 References 8 External linksEarly life and education editWright was born on April 23 1943 in Hempstead New York on Long Island 5 the only child of Catherine Drum Wright and Gerald Franklin Wright 14 After graduating from Chaminade High School in Mineola New York Wright enrolled at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester Massachusetts 5 He originally studied pre med but later changed his studies to major in psychology and minor in history 5 He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1965 5 Wright earned an LL B from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1968 15 Career editEarly career edit Wright began his career with General Electric as a staff lawyer in 1969 16 The following year he left GE to take a judicial clerkship for a federal judge in New Jersey 9 17 Wright joined GE again in 1973 as a lawyer for the company s plastics unit where he later took on several management positions 9 GE made a deal to acquire radio broadcast TV and cable properties 18 19 of Atlanta Georgia based Cox Communications in 1979 20 and appointed Wright as Cox Cable president 17 and executive vice president of Cox Broadcasting 21 The deal did not come to fruition however Wright remained with Cox Cable as president until 1983 17 21 Under Wright s leadership Cox Cable launched franchises across the U S including franchises in Omaha Nebraska Tucson Arizona New Orleans Louisiana Vancouver Washington suburbs near Chicago Illinois and Providence Rhode Island and a portion of Long Island New York 22 Wright was a contemporary of Ted Turner Turner Broadcasting Systems John Malone TCI Chuck Dolan Cablevision Systems and Ralph J Roberts Comcast during the early days of cable television 23 Wright left Cox to join GE once again in 1983 when GE chairman and CEO Jack Welch hired him to lead the company s housewares and audio units 17 He was promoted to president of GE Financial Services 24 21 from 1984 to 1986 9 NBC and NBC Universal edit GE named Wright the president and CEO of the National Broadcasting Company when the company acquired the broadcast network in 1986 6 25 He succeeded Grant Tinker in the role 17 He became chairman and CEO of NBC in 2001 6 He was named chairman and CEO of NBC Universal in 2004 6 Upon succeeding Tinker Wright s main mission became finding new areas of business in addition to running a television network 26 and transformed the network into a media conglomerate 27 NBC launched CNBC in 1989 and MSNBC in 1996 28 Both are examples of the strategic partnerships NBC created under Wright to improve distribution and content 29 CNBC included a partnership with Dow Jones allowing delivery of local business and financial news in Europe and Asia and MSNBC was a venture with Microsoft that launched a new 24 hour news network and accompanying news website to combine the two mediums 24 30 31 Wright is credited with leading NBC during a time when the company became a powerful media leader driving the company to record earnings in the 1990s 8 The network reported 5 billion in revenues and nearly more 1 billion in operating profits in 1996 8 Also under Wright NBC acquired Universal Pictures Telemundo 28 and Bravo 32 In the early and mid 90s Wright and NBC led efforts to persuade lawmakers and regulators to relax rules preventing networks from becoming multichannel program providers 33 obtaining certain financial interests and syndication 34 General Electric named Wright as vice chairman of NBC s then parent company in 2000 16 Under Wright NBC completed its acquisition of Vivendi Universal Entertainment in 2004 35 Led by Wright the newly formed NBCUniversal controlled seven cable networks including USA Network and Sci Fi Channel 29 TV stations film and TV studios and theme parks 35 During his career with NBC Wright was active in opposing digital piracy and was a founding member of the Global Leadership Group for the Business Alliance to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy In that role Wright spoke at the Global Congress on Combating Counterfeiting and Piracy in Geneva Switzerland pushing for lawmakers and businesses to curb rising intellectual property theft in the digital age 36 and delivered a speech titled Technology and the Rule of Law in the Digital Age at the Media Institute in 2004 37 He also penned an op ed in The Wall Street Journal titled Stop IP theft 38 Wright s speech at the Media Institute was published in the Notre Dame Journal of Law Ethics amp Public Policy 39 His 2002 speech for the Legatus Tri State Chapter on issues of faith and business was reprinted in 50 High Impact Speeches and Remarks 40 Wright retired from NBC in 2007 7 When Wright first took the helm at the network it saw operating profits of 400 million 17 In 2007 when he retired NBC generated 3 1 billion in profit on 15 4 billion in revenue 41 He remained vice chairman of GE until his retirement from that role in 2008 42 Autism Speaks edit See also Autism Speaks One of Wright s grandchildren Christian was diagnosed with autism prompting him and his wife Suzanne to found an advocacy group 10 The couple launched Autism Speaks in 2005 and Wright became its chairman 10 The Wrights organization merged with Autism Coalition for Research and Education in 2005 National Alliance for Autism Research in 2006 and Cure Autism Now in 2007 43 44 In its first 9 years Autism Speaks invested a half billion dollars focusing on science and research 10 The organization helped persuade the U S government to invest billions in autism research 7 as of 2014 Congress had dedicated more than 3 billion for autism research and monitoring 10 During Wright s tenure the organization teamed up with Google in 2014 on the MSSNG project to sequence a database of autism genomes 45 46 Wright resigned as chairman of Autism Speaks in May 2015 as of February 2016 he remained on the board as a co founder of the organization and on its executive committee 47 48 His book The Wright Stuff from NBC to Autism Speaks written with Diane Mermigas was published March 29 2016 The Suzanne Wright Foundation edit Bob Wright is Founder and Chairman of the Suzanne Wright Foundation established in honor of his late wife Suzanne who died from pancreatic cancer on July 29 2016 49 The Suzanne Wright Foundation launched CodePurple a national awareness and advocacy campaign to fight pancreatic cancer 50 Pancreatic cancer has the highest mortality rate of all major cancers With no screening tools 51 the mortality rate is 92 and has seen virtually no improvement in more than 40 years 52 Through advocacy and awareness the foundation s goal was to accelerate discovery of detection tools better treatments and ultimately a cure for pancreatic cancer The Suzanne Wright Foundation proposed a national health policy initiative to establish HARPA the Health Advanced Research Projects Agency HARPA would exist with HHS and leverage federal research assets and private sector tools to drive medical breakthroughs for diseases like pancreatic cancer that have not benefited from the current system HARPA is modeled after the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency DARPA the gold standard for innovation and accountability DARPA an agency within the Department of Defense developed The Internet Voice Recognition Technology GPS navigation Night vision Robotic Prostheses Stealth Technology DARPA s success proves there is an effective government model for translating science to product HARPA s identical operating principles built on urgency leadership high impact investments and accountability would advance scientific research from bench to bedside HARPA would work within an innovation ecosystem that includes the commercial market biotech and healthcare companies venture capital and philanthropy academic institutions and other government and regulatory agencies 53 On May 22 2018 The Suzanne Wright Foundation premiered their film The Patients Are Waiting How HARPA Will Change Lives in New York City The film screening was followed by a panel hosted by Maria Bartiromo Anchor and Global Markets Editor FOX Business Network FOX News Channel Panelists included Bob Wright Dr Herbert Pardes Executive Vice Chairman of NewYork Presbyterian Hospital Former Director NIMH Dr Geoffrey Ling Col Ret Prof of Neurology Johns Hopkins Founder amp Former Director DARPA BTO Jessica Morris Co founder of OurBrainBank and Karen Reeves President amp CMO AZTherapies On March 15 2022 Public Law 117 103 was enacted authorizing the establishment of ARPA H within the U S Department of Health and Human Services 13 Lee Equity Partners edit Lee Equity Partners a private equity firm run by financier Thomas H Lee announced in January 2008 that Wright would join the company as a senior advisor 28 Due to Wright s background with GE Financial Services and NBC Wright was brought on to advise in media and financial sector deals 28 54 Boards and affiliations edit Wright has served on numerous boards councils and committees As of February 2016 he sits on the board of directors for Polo Ralph Lauren 1 Autism Speaks an autism advocacy group he co founded with his wife Suzanne 47 AMC Networks 2 Alfred E Smith Memorial Foundation 55 and Palm Beach Fellowship of Christians amp Jews 56 He is chairman and CEO of Palm Beach Civic Association 4 He is a life trustee of the New York Presbyterian Hospital 3 Honors and awards editWright has accepted various awards and honors during his career in media He was inducted into the Broadcasting amp Cable Hall of Fame in 1996 57 the Cable Center s Cable Hall of Fame in 2007 58 and AAF s Advertising Hall of Fame in 2009 59 He received the Gold Medal Award from International Radio amp Television Society Foundation in 1997 60 the Steven J Ross Humanitarian of the Year Award of UJA Federation of New York in 1998 61 62 Public Service Award from the Ad Council in 2002 63 Broadcasters Foundation s Golden Mike Award in 2003 64 Media Institute s 2004 Freedom of Speech Award 65 Humanitarian Award from the Simon Wiesenthal Center in 2005 24 Distinguished Leadership in Business Award from Columbia Business School in 2005 66 and the Visionary Award from the Museum of Television amp Radio in 2006 67 He also was awarded the Minorities in Broadcasting Training Program s Striving for Excellence Award 68 Wright and his wife Suzanne have been honored for their work with Autism Speaks They were presented with the first ever Double Helix Medal for Corporate Leadership from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory 69 the New York University Child Advocacy Award the Castle Connolly National Health Leadership Award and the American Ireland Fund Humanitarian Award 70 They received the Dean s Medal from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health 71 the President s Medal for Excellence at Boston College s Wall Street Council Tribute Dinner 69 and the Visionary Award at the 20th Annual Nantucket Film Festival 72 The Wrights were named among Time s 100 most influential people in the world in 2008 73 Bibliography editWright Bob Mermigas Diane 2016 The Wright Stuff From NBC to Autism Speaks RosettaBooks ISBN 978 0 7953 4692 7 Personal life editWright was married to his wife Suzanne from 1967 until her death from pancreatic cancer in 2016 74 75 He has three children Katie Chris and Maggie 8 and six grandchildren Christian Mattias Morgan Maisie Alex and Sloan 76 He married his second wife Susan Goldwater Keenan on Sept 30 2017 See also editThe Late ShiftReferences edit a b Ralph Lauren Corp RL Reuters Retrieved February 8 2016 a b AMC Networks Inc AMCX Reuters Retrieved February 8 2016 a b Life Trustees at New York Presbyterian Hospital New York Presbyterian Hospital Retrieved February 12 2016 a b Directors and members Palm Beach Civic Association Retrieved February 16 2016 a b c d e Michael Reardon 2005 The Profile Robert C Wright 65 Holy Cross Magazine College of the Holy Cross Retrieved February 8 2016 a b c d Ensher Ellen A Murphy Susan E 2011 Power Mentoring How Successful Mentors and Proteges Get the Most of Their Relationships John Wiley amp Sons p 71 ISBN 978 1 118 04687 6 a b c Lowry Brian April 25 2013 Former NBC topper Bob Wright stayed ahead of the curve on biz changes Variety Retrieved February 16 2016 a b c d Gunther Marc February 3 1997 How GE made NBC No 1 Fortune Retrieved February 16 2016 a b c d Executive Profile Robert C Wright Bloomberg Retrieved February 16 2016 a b c d e McKenna Josephine November 21 2014 Pope Francis tackles autism as families seek hope and support Deseret News Retrieved February 29 2016 Grieving Husband Launches Foundation to Fight Pancreatic Cancer in Honor of His Late Wife People November 16 2016 Retrieved February 8 2017 About HARPA Retrieved July 5 2018 a b ARPA H National Institutes of Health NIH Retrieved May 9 2023 Wright Bob Mermigas Diane 2016 The Wright Stuff From NBC to Autism Speaks RosettaBooks p 3 ISBN 978 0 7953 4692 7 Wright Bob 2003 No profession is more honorable than the law PDF UVALawyer p 69 archived from the original PDF on October 5 2016 retrieved February 8 2016 a b GE names NBC president vice chairman Bloomberg News July 29 2000 Retrieved February 16 2016 a b c d e f Taylor III Alex March 16 1987 GE s hard driver at NBC Fortune Retrieved February 16 2016 Egan Jack October 6 1978 GE and Cox Broadcasting plan merger The Washington Post Retrieved March 14 2016 Jones William H February 27 1979 Mutual agrees to buy N Y radio station The Washington Post Retrieved March 14 2016 Fabrikant Geraldine December 13 1992 For NBC hard times and miscues The New York Times Retrieved March 14 2016 a b c Sharbutt Jay August 22 1986 Wright seen as next NBC chief Los Angeles Times Retrieved February 16 2016 Cox Cable s Wright Building the future PDF Broadcasting Now November 1 1982 p 87 Retrieved February 16 2016 The Hauser Oral and Video History Project Bob Wright CableCenter org May 15 2007 Retrieved February 16 2016 a b c Biography Bob Wright PBS Retrieved February 8 2016 Siklos Richard Holson Laura M August 8 2005 NBC Universal aims to be prettiest feather in G E s cap The New York Times Retrieved February 16 2016 Boyer Peter J June 6 1988 NBC Tries a Quieter Way of Breaking into Cable TV The New York Times Retrieved February 16 2016 Ex NBC head Wright joins Lee Equity Los Angeles Times February 1 2008 Retrieved February 16 2016 a b c d Ex NBC chair to join Lee Equity Partners The New York Times January 31 2008 Retrieved February 16 2016 Mermigas Diane December 4 2000 NBC continues to thrive in GE s world Electronic Media p 38 Sherman Alex Bass Dina July 16 2012 MSNBC website renamed NBCNews com after Microsoft split Bloomberg News Retrieved February 16 2016 Jones Tim June 9 1996 NBC prepares for 90s and beyond Chicago Tribune Retrieved February 16 2016 Hofmeister Sallie November 5 2002 NBC to add new content to Bravo Los Angeles Times Retrieved February 16 2016 Wharton Dennis March 29 1994 Wright set to argue for easing regs Variety Retrieved February 16 2016 Flint Joe January 17 1994 Facing the facts of life in a post fin syn world Broadcasting amp Cable Archived from the original on May 3 2016 Retrieved February 16 2016 a b Carter Bill May 13 2004 Deal compete NBC is planning to cross market The New York Times Retrieved February 16 2016 Cendrowicz Leo January 31 2007 NBC s Wright Put anti piracy at top of agenda The Hollywood Reporter Retrieved February 16 2016 Media Institute Speeches Media Institute Archived from the original on January 27 2016 Retrieved January 9 2016 Wright Bob November 8 2005 Stop IP theft The Wall Street Journal Retrieved February 16 2016 Wright Bob 2005 Technology and the Role of Law in the Digital Age Notre Dame Journal of Law Ethics amp Public Policy 19 2 705 710 Retrieved January 11 2016 Kador John 2004 50 High Impact Speeches and Remarks New York McGraw Hill pp 121 128 ISBN 0 07 142194 7 Chief executive says GE won t sell NBC Universal Associated Press March 12 2008 Retrieved February 16 2016 Notice of 2008 Annual Meeting and Proxy Statements PDF General Electric 2008 Retrieved February 16 2016 Bob Wright cablecenter org Cable Center 2007 Archived from the original on April 26 2016 Retrieved February 29 2016 Autism Speaks philanthropynewsdigest org Foundation Center April 15 2008 Retrieved February 29 2016 Lee Hailey November 6 2014 Ex NBC chief Bob Wright paves way for autism research CNBC Retrieved February 8 2016 MSSNG project partnership between Autism Speaks and Google for autism research has official launch ABC News December 9 2014 Retrieved February 8 2016 a b Michelle Diament May 5 2015 Autism Speaks sees leadership change Disability Scoop Retrieved February 16 2016 Board members Autism Speaks Retrieved February 29 2016 Foundation The Suzanne Wright Bob Wright Launches The Suzanne Wright Foundation to Fight Pancreatic Cancer Press release PR Newswire Retrieved February 8 2017 Stanton John Bob Wright takes on pancreatic cancer after losing wife Suzanne The Inquirer and Mirror Retrieved February 8 2017 Can Pancreatic Cancer Be Found Early cancer org Retrieved February 8 2017 American Cancer Society Cancer Facts amp Statistics American Cancer Society Cancer Facts amp Statistics Retrieved February 8 2017 About HARPA Retrieved July 5 2018 Kouwe Zachery February 1 2008 Bob Wright to advise on media for buyout big New York Post Retrieved February 16 2016 Board of directors Alfred E Smith Memorial Foundation Retrieved February 16 2016 Who we are Palm Beach Fellowship of Christians amp Jews Retrieved February 16 2016 Benefits The New York Times November 3 1996 Retrieved March 28 2016 Broadband briefs CED April 12 2007 Retrieved March 28 2016 Advertising Hall of Fame Members Advertising Hall of Fame Retrieved January 9 2016 Billboard Billboard March 29 1997 Retrieved January 9 2016 UJA Federation of New York UJA Federation of New York Archived from the original on January 22 2016 Retrieved January 9 2016 Billboard Billboard October 4 1997 Retrieved March 28 2016 Adweek Calendar Adweek November 18 2002 Retrieved January 9 2016 Mike Bloomberg to receive Golden Mike Award Broadcasting amp Cable December 22 2009 Retrieved March 28 2016 Kaplan David October 28 2004 NBC s Wright cites erosion of intellectual property rights MediaPost Communications Retrieved March 28 2016 Distinguished Leadership in Business Award Columbia Business School Archived from the original on April 6 2016 Retrieved March 28 2016 Paul J Gough February 3 2006 NBC Chairman and SNL Honored at Gala Backstage Retrieved March 28 2016 SFE Awards MIBTP April 30 2014 Retrieved January 9 2016 a b Cable Hall of Fame 2007 Honorees Cable Hall of Fame Archived from the original on January 31 2016 Retrieved January 9 2016 A Strong Voice An interview with Suzanne and Bob Wright co founders Autism Speaks Leaders Magazine April 2011 Retrieved March 28 2016 Gouveia Georgette October 31 2014 Autism Speaks and Suzanne and Bob Wright ensure the world listens WAG Mag Retrieved March 28 2016 Gerard Jeremy May 14 2015 Robert Towne will be feted at 20th Nantucket Film Fest Deadline Hollywood Retrieved March 28 2016 Brokaw Tom May 12 2008 The 2008 Time 100 Time Retrieved March 28 2016 O Brien Mackey Sarah Spring 2006 Inspired to make a difference Bob Wright 65 PDF Holy Cross Magazine Retrieved April 4 2016 Kauffman Ellie July 30 2016 Suzanne Wright autism advocate dies at 69 CNN Retrieved July 30 2016 About the author RosettaBooks Retrieved April 4 2016 External links editAppearances on C SPAN Autism Speaks Founders Message Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Bob Wright amp oldid 1180134599, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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