Mark Kornblau Departs NBCUniversal Post For Softbank Group

Mark Kornblau is departing his spot heading up communications at NBCUniversal’s news brands for a position as global head of communications for Softbank Group.

Kornblau is currently executive vice president of communications for NBCUniversal News Group. He’s been at NBC News for seven years.

Kornblau will join Softbank on Aug. 16, and will be be based in the company’s New York office, reporting to Masayoshi Son, representative director, corporate officer, chairman and CEO of SBG, as well as Marcelo Claure, corporate officer, executive vice president and COO of SBG and chief executive officer of Softbank Group International.

During his tenure, Kornblau led negotiations for the network’s coverage of the 2020 Democratic presidential debates, while leading communications for TV and digital news brands including the broadcast news division and MSNBC. Last year, Cesar Conde was named to succeed Andrew Lack atop the news division, in the newly created role of chairman of the NBCUniversal News Group.

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Before joining NBCU, Kornblau was managing director of corporate communications for JPMorganChase, and he previously served in Barack Obama’s administration as communications director and spokesman for Susan Rice when she was UN ambassador.

In a statement, Kornblau said that Softbank “is at the center of a transformative global moment. It is shaping the future by identifying truly innovative technologies and accelerating the growth of companies that are revolutionizing the way we live and work — for the better.”

Kornblau’s email to the staff is below:

Friends,

 

After seven fantastic years, I’ll be leaving the NBCU News Group in a few weeks to take on a new challenge.

 

I’ve genuinely loved working here. I’m one of those people (and I think there are many of us) who pinched myself walking into 30 Rock on my first day – and never lost that feeling of awe along the way. It’s been a huge honor to partner with the most talented collection of journalists ever assembled, a fantastic and unbeatable team of communications professionals, and dynamic leaders across our businesses who also happen to be really good people.

 

I’m grateful to have played a small part in the recent successes of this storied news organization, and in our continued innovation in the face of rapid change. It’s remarkable how far we’ve come in that regard in just a few years.

 

I’ll spare you the extended version of the “what you do is so important” monologue – and instead just say that this past year and a half in particular has fortified for me the belief that journalism is a mission, that many of the people who dedicate their lives to it are genuine heroes, and that history will ultimately be unkind to those who seek to undermine the credibility of the free press.

 

In August, I’ll join SoftBank Group Corp. as Global Head of Communications. SoftBank is the world’s leading technology investment company. It is shaping the future (and the present) by identifying transformative technologies and accelerating the growth of companies that are revolutionizing the way we live and work – for the better. I’m looking forward to supporting that mission and helping them tell their story.

 

I’ll be around for the next few weeks, both in person and via Teams – and I hope to get the chance to connect with you – most of all to say thank you.

 

Mark