Variety: NBCU Veteran Jessica Kurdali Is Versant’s New SVP, Talent Strategy

Story from Variety:

Jessica Kurdali, who has supervised news talent relations for years for NBCUniversal’s news properties, will jump to Versant, the cable-networks operations that parent Comcast is spinning off, where she will oversee talent strategy across all platforms, including news, entertainment and sports.

Kurdali will manage strategic recruitment and on-air development. She will also work across Versant‘s businesses to identify new voices, ensure talent can be seen across the company’s various media assets and build a bench of up and coming personalities.

She most recently served as senior vice president of talent and strategy for NBC News and MSNBC. She started at NBCU as an intern in 2002.

Her exit from NBC means NBC News will be without a senior talent executive for an interim period. ABC News also has not filled a similar position within its ranks.

Versant, which will be lead by CEO Mark Lazarus when Comcast spins the company off later this year, has been building up a corporate structure — with several executives coming from NBCU’s news operations.

Brian Carovillano, who led standards at NBCU News Group, has been named Versant’s senior vice president for standards and editorial partnerships for news. Tom Clendenin,. previously chief marketing officer for NBCU News Group, will serve as CMO for both MSNBC and CNBC, both of which will be placed under Versant’s auspices. Meanwhile, Frank Tanki, a media industry veteran, has been named CMO for Versant’s entertainment and sports businesses.

During her tenure, Kurdali has worked with anchors and correspondents including Kristen Welker, Dylan Dreyer, Gabe Gutierrez, Hallie Jackson, Gadi Schwartz, Laura Jarrett, and Ana Cabrera.