Kevin C. Conroy
Kevin C. Conroy | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 23, 1960 Providence, Rhode Island, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Media, entertainment, and technology executive |
| Years active | 1984–present |
Kevin C. Conroy (born April 23, 1960) is a prominent American executive specializing in media, entertainment, and technology sectors, having held high-level positions at AOL, Univision, and MGM.
Early life and education
Conroy was born in Providence, Rhode Island and completed his secondary education at La Salle Academy in 1978, later being inducted into its Hall of Fame in 2018. He obtained his undergraduate degree from Bowdoin College in 1982.
Career
Starting his professional journey in 1984 with Leonard Monahan Inc. in Providence, Conroy rose to the role of vice president responsible for new business development and client relations. By 1991, as vice president of marketing at CBS/FOX, he oversaw sports and fitness video operations throughout North America and nine overseas markets. His responsibilities included managing licensing agreements with leading sports organizations and broadcasters such as the NBA, NFL, NHL, NCAA, CBS Sports, NBC Sports, and ABC Sports.
In 1995, Conroy took on the role of chief marketing officer and president of new technology at BMG Entertainment. He directed the company’s digital transformation efforts, launching initiatives like e-commerce platforms, digital distribution channels, and Enhanced CD/DVD technologies. Conroy established strategic alliances with major corporations including AOL, American Airlines, American Express, AT&T, Disney, Intel, Microsoft, Starbucks, Visa, and Yahoo. He was instrumental in advancing digital audio innovations such as the pioneering use of RealAudio alongside RealNetworks and A2B music technology developed with AT&T Labs. Conroy also negotiated the creation of BMG Visa’s co-branded credit card in partnership with Wachovia Bank and Visa USA, delivering consumer rewards linked to a global music brand. Additionally, he formed a joint venture with Universal Records to launch GetMusic—the industry’s first content-plus-commerce platform—and initiated BMG’s participation in MusicNet, the pioneering music subscription service.
AOL
Conroy joined AOL in 2001 as senior vice president and general manager responsible for the company’s music strategy and platform development. He advanced to lead AOL Entertainment by 2002 and was promoted to executive vice president and chief operating officer of broadband services in 2003. In 2005, he assumed the position of executive vice president overseeing AOL Products and Marketing.
A trailblazer in music and video streaming technologies, Conroy played a central role in the creation of AOL Music. As Senior Vice President and General Manager, he launched AOL Radio through a partnership with CBS Radio, establishing one of the world’s largest online radio networks. He developed original series such as Sessions@AOL and collaborated with major record labels to introduce the early version of Pandora (originally Savage Beast) on AOL Music as an innovative song search tool, alongside pioneering affordable 99-cent music downloads. Under his direction, AOL Music received the first-ever MidemNet Innovation Award.
While serving as executive vice president for global products and marketing, Conroy spearheaded the launch of AOL Video by securing content agreements with leading broadcast and cable networks. He partnered with Mark Burnett to bring the reality competition series Gold Rush to AOL in 2006. Furthermore, he developed In2TV—the first digital TV catalog service—and negotiated AOL’s inaugural distribution agreement with Hulu, significantly broadening the company’s presence in online video content.
Univision
Conroy became part of Univision in 2009, where he held several key positions such as head of corporate marketing, president of digital, president of enterprise development, and chief strategy and data officer until 2016. He was responsible for directing Univision's video strategy, overhauling the video infrastructure, reconstructing the content management system, and launching the company’s inaugural bilingual digital video network. Throughout this period, he also contributed as a board member for both the Interactive Advertising Bureau and Digital Content Next.
He worked closely with the leadership teams at Nielsen, comScore, and Rentrak to improve the precision of media measurement targeting US Hispanic audiences across various platforms. Conroy pioneered the initial Univision Tracking Study and established an online community that delivered real-time insights to bolster programming, sales, marketing, distribution, and business development efforts.
MGM
In 2016, Conroy assumed the role of president of digital and new platforms at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. He led efforts focused on emerging platforms by expanding MGM’s short-form digital content using its extensive library and introducing original scripted series such as Stargate Command, marking the studio’s first scripted project in ten years.
Conroy developed strategic alliances with prominent content brands to create virtual and augmented reality experiences, investing in leading VR entertainment and gaming companies including Dreamscape and Survios. He was instrumental in shaping MGM's over-the-top (OTT) service offerings within faith-based and entertainment categories, notably through Lightworkers Media and Stargate Command.
Current roles
Conroy is the founder and CEO of ConroyCo Ventures, which delivers consulting and advisory support to startups and rapidly expanding businesses. Additionally, he holds the position of president at 4D Factory, a holding company focused on investments that drive technology-enabled media innovation. In 2020, 4D Factory secured a majority ownership in Neon Media, an Emmy Award-winning game publishing offshoot affiliated with HBO.
Honors and awards
- Recognized in Ad Age's "Marketing 100," June 1998.
- Named among Digital Media Wire's "25 Executives to Watch" in Digital Entertainment, 2010.
- Featured in Broadcasting & Cable's 2010 Digital All-Stars list.
- Awarded at Broadcasting & Cable's 18th Technology Leadership Awards during NAB Show, 2015.
- Included on Cablefax Digital Hot List as well as Tech and Trailer Awards in March 2015.
- Inducted into the CDO Club Hall of Fame for chief digital officers who advanced to CEO or president roles since 2011 by Bain Capital and CDO Club, July 2016.
- Listed in Washington Life magazine’s Tech Hall of Fame recognizing Innovators and Disruptors, July 2017.
Published articles
- "The Third-Party Cookie Divide is Debilitating the Industry," Ad Age, May 31, 2013
- "Audience Measurement Should Be About Total Audience, Total Reach and Total Engagement," Broadcasting & Cable, March 3, 2015
- "Ad Blocking: A Problem in Need of a Creative Solution," Ad Age, July 28, 2015