Kathleen Finch was named Discovery, Inc’s Chief Lifestyle Brands Officer in 2018, following the company’s acquisition of Scripps Networks. Finch oversees all creative and business operations for Discovery’s 10-network portfolio of lifestyle networks, highlighted by HGTV, Food Network, TLC, Investigation Discovery and Travel Channel, among others. Finch also oversees the Digital Studios Group, responsible for digital and social video content creation in support of Discovery’s websites, social, TV Everywhere and direct-to-consumer businesses and brands, most notably the recent launch of the Food Network Kitchen subscription service.

Driven by this leading collection of women-targeted brands, Discovery networks account for more than 20% of all Pay-TV viewing among women in the U.S (Primetime & Total Day). Finch has led her portfolio to claim the top four non-news networks in ad-supported cable for Total Day (HGTV #1, Food Network #2, TLC #3, ID #4) and two of the top five networks in Primetime (TLC #1 and HGTV #4) among W25-54 as of 2Q20.

Under her stewardship, the Lifestyle portfolio has expanded its stable of hit series, such as HGTV’s record-breaking hits A Very Brady Renovation and Celebrity IOU; Food Network fan-favorites Tournament of Champions and Buddy vs. Duff; ID’s On the Case with Paula Zahn and Evil Lives Here; Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventures; and the #1 program for women on Sunday nights, TLC’s 90 Day Fiancé franchise.

Prior to the Discovery acquisition, since 2015 Finch served as Chief Programming, Content & Brand Officer for all six Scripps Networks, including all linear and digital media brands. She was promoted to this position after serving as President of HGTV, DIY Network and Great American Country. Finch led the networks to record ratings and revenues and 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 and DIY Network’s Blog Cabin, the first ever interactive home renovation series produced on-air and online.

Before joining HGTV, Finch spent seven years as Senior Vice President of Primetime Programming at Food Network where she introduced long-running series such as Unwrapped, Food Network Challenge and Ace of Cakes. Prior to joining Scripps Networks in 1999, Finch worked as a broadcast and print journalist, highlighted by a 12-year career as a CBS Network News producer, traveling the world to cover breaking news and events in locations such as Cuba and the UK.

A graduate of Stanford University, Finch also participated in the CTAM Executive Management Program and the Women in Cable & Telecommunications (WICT) Betsy Magness Leadership Institute. Among her industry awards and honors, she has been named a “Woman to Watch” by Multichannel News and WICT; one of TIME’s “100 Industry Innovators to Watch,” and was featured in Broadcasting & Cable’s “The Next Wave: B&C’s Annual Salute to Women Who Make a Difference.” Finch also was named Adweek’s Television Executive of the Year in 2018; was an Alliance for Women in Media 2017 honoree and named WICT’s Woman of the Year in 2016. Finch is a member of The Committee of 200, the Fast Company Impact Council, and serves on the boards of The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and the National Association of Television Program Executives. She resides with her family in New York City.

Speaking on: A Deep Dive Into Discovery+