Steve Burke (businessman)
Stephen B. Burke | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 14, 1958 |
| Occupation | Business executive |
| Known for | Chairman of NBCUniversal, Senior Executive Vice President at Comcast |
Stephen B. Burke (born August 14, 1958) is a prominent American executive, currently holding the positions of senior executive vice president at Comcast and chairman of NBCUniversal.
Early life
Burke is the son of Daniel Burke, who was a former top executive at Capital Cities Communications, the company that acquired ABC. He completed his undergraduate studies at Colgate University in 1980 and subsequently obtained an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1982.
Career
Burke's professional journey started as an associate product manager at General Foods. In 1986, he joined The Walt Disney Company, where he was instrumental in creating the Disney Store retail concept. Between 1992 and 1996, he served as president and chief operating officer of Euro Disney. After Disney's acquisition of ABC, Burke advanced to executive vice president in 1996 and was appointed president of ABC Broadcasting in 1997.
In 1998, Burke transitioned to Comcast as President of Comcast Cable, later assuming the role of chief operating officer in 2004. Following the 2010 merger between Comcast and General Electric's NBCUniversal, he became CEO of NBCUniversal in 2011, stepping down from his COO position at Comcast.
Burke spearheaded Comcast’s purchase of British pay-TV provider Sky UK in 2018, after withdrawing from the bidding competition for 21st Century Fox against Disney. In 2019, he unveiled NBCUniversal’s streaming platform, eventually named Peacock, which utilized Sky’s over-the-top (OTT) technology. Although Burke resigned as CEO of NBCUniversal in 2020, he continued to serve as chairman.
Since 2009, Burke has been a member of the boards of directors for both Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase. He also sits on the board of trustees for the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. In 2021, he joined the board of Montana-based onX Maps and made a notable investment through Madison Valley Partners, his family's investment firm.
Personal life
Steve Burke married Gretchen (née Hoadley) on July 23, 1983; together they have five children. He owns homes in New York City, Los Angeles, and Rancho Cordova.