Kay Koplovitz

Kay Koplovitz Speaker Biography

Founder, USA Network, Chairman of the Board, Fifth & Pacific (Formerly Liz Claiborne Inc.) Chairman and CEO, Koplovitz & Company, Chairman & Co-Founder, Springboard Enterprises

Kay Koplovitz is the founder of USA Network and the visionary who created the business model for cable networks by introducing the concept of two revenue streams – licensing and advertising. She is also the first woman network president in television history. A pioneer in cable television networks and new media ventures, she is a visionary woman who led the emergence of cable television to challenge the broadcast networks for coveted audiences.

Entrepreneur

She is a leader in raising venture capital for women entrepreneurs, and in recent years Kay has also stepped into a leadership role in the area of Board Diversity and getting more women on boards joining the efforts of NYSE/Euronext, The Women’s Forum, Yale University and The Partnership for New York City, and Corporate Board Member.

Books

She is the author of, Bold Women, Big Ideas (May ’02), which she wrote to inform and inspire women entrepreneurs to create wealth through equity. Ms. Koplovitz speaks on subjects ranging from media and the digital revolution, to venture and private equity and corporate governance.  Kay is also the author of Been There, Run That, an anthology of best practices from Springboard Enterprises’ expert network of leaders in the areas of technology, media, e-commerce and life sciences. 

Women-Led Companies

In 2000, Ms. Koplovitz co-created Springboard Enterprises, a national organization that fosters venture capital investments in women-led high growth companies. Companies selected and presented by Springboard Enterprises have raised over $5.5 Billion and have had positive liquidity events for investors, including IPOs. Ms. Koplovitz counts among her accomplishments the Presidential appointment as Chair of National Women’s Business Council (1998-2001). She is the recipient of numerous awards and inductions for her leadership accomplishments in the areas of Media and Entrepreneurship.

Media

Koplovitz & Company, LLC, Chairman and CEO Koplovitz & Company provides advisory services to entertainment companies, sports organizations, adver tisers and distributors and advises companies on growth strategies. The firm also invests in early to mid-stage companies in media and technology. USA Networks, Founder, Chairman and CEO as Chairman and Chief Executive Off icer from USA’s premiere in 1977 as an all spor ts ser vice (Madison Square Garden Spor ts), until stepping down in 1998. During her tenure, she built USA into the #1 ranking in primetime viewership among cable networks, for 13 consecutive years at the helm. Under Koplovitz’s direction, USA launched the SCI FI Channel in 1992, which has become one of the industr y’s top ranked networks in viewership according to Nielson and is distributed to over 200 million households worldwide. In April 1994, she launched USA Networks International, which now operates in countries around the world. The Company was sold in 1998 for $4.5 billion.

Affiliations

Ms. Koplovitz presently serves as Chairman of the Board, Fifth & Pacific Cos.(formerly Liz Claiborne Inc.) Fifth & Pacific includes the power brands Juicy Couture, Kate Spade and Lucky Brand. She is also a board member of CA Technologies, the world’s leading IT management software company. In 2010, she became a board member of ION Media. Previously, she has served on the boards of Instinet, Oracle, Nabisco, General Re, and Sun New Media.. She serves as trustee of The Paley Center for Media, The University of Wisconsin-Madison, College of Letters & Science, and the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Education

She holds a master’s degree in Communications from Michigan State University and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin as well as honorary doctorate degrees from Emerson College, St. John’s University, Michigan State University and Canasius College. A native of Milwaukee, Ms. Koplovitz is married to private investor William C. Koplovitz, Jr.