Kathleen Finch

Chairman & CEO, US Networks
Discovery

Kathleen Finch is Chief Lifestyle Brands Officer at Discovery, where she oversees the management oversight of HGTV, Food Network, TLC, ID, Travel Channel, DIY Network, Cooking Channel, Discovery Life, American Heroes Channel, Destination America, Great American Country and Lifestyle Digital Studios in the U.S. Previously, Finch was Chief Programming, Content & Brand Officer for all six Scripps Networks including all linear and digital media brands. She was promoted to this position in August of 2015 after serving as President of HGTV, DIY Network and Great American Country.

During her tenure as President of the three Home Category brands, Finch led the networks to record ratings and revenues. She launched such notable talent-driven series as Fixer Upper, Flip or Flop, Ellen’s Design Challenge featuring Ellen DeGeneres, The Property Brothers, Love It or List It, The Vanilla Ice Project and DIY Network Blog Cabin, the first ever interactive home renovation series produced on-air and online. Before joining HGTV, Finch spent seven years at the Food Network as Senior Vice President of Primetime Programming where she introduced long-running series such as Unwrapped, Food Network Challenge and Ace of Cakes.

Prior to joining Scripps Networks in 1999, Finch was a journalist working in both broadcast and print. She spent 12 years as a CBS Network News producer, traveling the world to cover breaking news and events in locations such as Cuba and the U.K. A graduate of Stanford University, Finch also participated in the CTAM Executive Management Program, WICT’s Betsy Magness Leadership Institute and the Scripps Leadership Institute and is a WICT and Multichannel News “Woman to Watch.” She’s also been named one of TIME’s “100 Industry Innovators to Watch” and featured in Broadcasting & Cable’s “The Next Wave: B&C’s Annual Salute to Women Who Make a Difference.” Most recently, Finch was named WICT’s Woman of the Year for 2016 and was an Alliance of Women in Media 2017 honoree. Finch is a member of The Committee of 200 and serves on the board of The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.