Laser-focused career aspirations combined with her mantra, “You have to make the magic happen,” launched Jessica Rodriguez’s rise to CMO and President of Entertainment for Univision, America’s Hispanic Superbrand. An admired and respected leader throughout the media industry, her passion, creativity and collaborative style have helped to solidify Univision’s position as the leading Hispanic media company in the U.S.
Rodriguez oversees all marketing for the company, and all entertainment content development and acquisitions for Univision’s portfolio of television and cable networks. In addition to scheduling and research, Rodriguez is also responsible for a range of key network activities, from production and talent relations to media planning, on-air promotions, digital/corporate marketing, and consumer brand analytics. Under her leadership an award-winning team plays an integral role instilling the company’s culture and vision while also driving engagement across platforms.
Most recently, Rodriguez led the charge on a renewed and diversified content strategy that has resulted in a ratings resurgence, particularly among the younger and hard to reach 18-34 consumers. Under her leadership, Univision is an undisputed leader in media, wrapping 2018 as the only major broadcast network – English or Spanish — to grow during the fourth quarter in primetime across all key demos. Univision also finished 2018 as the No. 1 Spanish-language network in primetime and total day for the 26th straight year among key demos.
She has spearheaded some of the company’s most high-profile, award-winning campaigns, including Univision’s first-ever brand campaign, “Todo Es Posible” (Everything is Possible), a comprehensive, multi-platform initiative around Hispanic America’s core values and the purpose-driven campaign “Se Habla USA” that promotes the value of diversity, inclusion and the important role Hispanic culture and Spanish language play in America. Under Rodriguez’s stewardship, the company also launched the national campaign, “Univision. La Que Nos Une.” (Univision. The One that Unites Us.) which brought a bold, fresh look to Univision Network’s on-air creative and reinforces Univision’s commitment to bringing together Hispanics on the rise.
Her career at the company began as a graduate intern at Univision Los Angeles nineteen years ago. Rodriguez went on to launch and manage Univision Puerto Rico and subsequently held many other roles including SVP of Univision’s Cable Networks, EVP of program scheduling and promotions.
Rodriguez’s career in media has been lauded with multiple honors, most recently as a 2019 recipient of a “Changing the Game” award from She Runs It, the inaugural 2019 AdWeek+AdColor Champions Award, and the 2019 Stanford Graduate School of Business Hispanic Business Students Association’s Jerry I. Porras Latino Leadership Award. She has been recognized in Variety’s Marketing Impact Report; and named one of People en Español’s 25 Most Powerful Women; and is regularly recognized by leading publications like Cablefax, Multichannel News, Adweek, among other. She was also a recipient of the 2017 Women of Distinction Award by Girl Scouts of Greater New York for her service as a role model of ethical leadership. Rodriguez is one of the founders of Univision’s Women’s Leadership Council and its Women’s Leadership Academy. She serves on the board of directors of Burlington Stores, Inc.
Prior to Univision, Rodriguez was a project analyst at the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone Development Corporation. She began her career as an Analyst & Associate of the Private Banking Division at Chase Manhattan. Rodriguez earned a Master of Business Administration from Stanford Graduate School of Business and a Bachelor of Science in Economics & Finance from Fordham University.
