Stephen Labaton To Head Communications For NBCU News Group

Stephen Labaton, an executive at Booz Allen Hamilton and former correspondent for The New York Times, has been named executive vice president of communications for the NBCUniversal News Group.

He’ll report to Cesar Conde, chairman of the news group.

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Mark Kornblau departed as executive vice president of communications during the summer to take a post at Softbank.

Labaton has spent the past three years as EVP of corporate affairs for Booz Allen Hamilton, where he led a team focused on strategic communications, media relations, marketing and government relations, among other duties. He previously spent six years at Finsbury, the communications firm, as president-North America and chairman of its worldwide crisis practice.

At the Times, he was senior writer and national correspondent in Washington and New York, covering regulatory, legal, political, technology and economic issues. He was chairman of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and a longtime board member.

Labaton will start in the post on Monday.

Conde’s memo to staff is below:

Hi all,

I am pleased to announce that Stephen Labaton will join us as EVP, Communications for the News Group, reporting to me, supporting portfolio-wide communications. Stephen joins us from Booz Allen Hamilton, where he spent three years as EVP, Corporate Affairs, leading a team focused on all external and internal engagement by the firm, including strategic communications, media relations, marketing, government relations, employee engagement, and community partnerships. He brings a considerable amount of experience in media relations, crisis management and brand-building and has a strong reputation for skillfully navigating high profile organizations through industry challenges and change. Prior to Booz Allen, he spent six years at a global strategic communications firm, Finsbury, where he was President-North America and chairman of its worldwide crisis practice.

Prior to his career in communications, Stephen was an award-winning journalist at The New York Times, where he was a senior writer and national correspondent in Washington and New York covering regulatory, legal, political, technology and economic issues. He was a long-time board member and chairman of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. Stephen is a graduate of Tufts University and the Law School and Graduate School at Duke University and is a member of the New York Bar.

Stephen will officially join us on Monday, October 11th. Please join me in welcoming him.

Take care,

Cesar Conde

Chairman, NBCUniversal News Group

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