Mandala promoted to Executive VP Cable Ad Sales @ NBC Universal.

Steve Mandala, Senior Vice President of Sales for Telemundo, has been promoted to the newly created position of Executive Vice President, Cable Ad Sales for NBC Universal, effective immediately. The announcement was made today by Mike Pilot, President, NBC Universal Sales and Marketing, to whom Mandala will report.

As EVP of Cable Ad Sales, Mandala is responsible for overseeing the sales and marketing efforts for the company’s cable entertainment networks, USA, Sci-Fi, BRAVO, Chiller, Sleuth and Uni HD. He will also help with the transition at Telemundo, continuing to oversee sales until a replacement is named.

Said Pilot, ”Our cable group has never been stronger, and Steve is the right executive to capitalize on that momentum and take our sales efforts to the next level. He’s a terrific leader who has demonstrated great success in handling the complexities of a broadcast network, a cable network and a digital business – all at the same time. Steve has also done a great job in partnering with our clients to create a deeper and more innovative connection with Telemundo’s programming, while also taking a leading role in expanding our existing client base. I look forward to his continued success as we work to take an even more client-centric, strategic sales approach with our cable entertainment networks.”

Mandala joined NBC Universal when the company purchased Telemundo in 2002. Since then, he has been instrumental in forging new business development strategies for the Spanish-language network, as well as developing a new go-to-market approach for the upfront. In addition, Mandala worked to create innovative, multi-platform marketing opportunities for clients, utilizing the full assets of Telemundo’s broadcast, digital and cable properties.

Mandala began working at Telemundo in 1997, joining there from Univision Communications, where he was the VP, West Coast Sales Manager for five years. Before that, Mandala worked as an account executive at Telemundo-owned KVEA in Los Angeles from 1988 to 1992.