Vivian Cannon Promoted At Universal Television, Content Acquisitions Exec Frances Manfredi Exits

It’s a busy day at NBCUniversal with more promotions and departures.

Vivian Cannon will head drama development at Universal Television after being promoted to EVP. This comes after Erin Underhill was promoted to President of the production division. Cannon was previously SVP, Drama Development.

Cannon has been a “driving force” on series including NBC’s New Amsterdam, which was recently renewed for three seasons, and upcoming CBS drama The Equalizer, which will premiere after the Super Bowl.

She joined in 2017, having previously been at Neal Moritz’s Original Film, where she exec produced AMC drama Preacher and Showtime’s The Big C.

In an internal note, Underhill, said, “Anyone who’s had the pleasure of working with Vivian knows how sharp, passionate and tenacious she is. She brings a wealth of talent relationships from her producing days, and a love for all forms of storytelling – especially podcasts. She is a strategic thinker, a creative packager, and a tireless champion for diverse voices. Vivian’s innate drive and leadership skills will help UTV continue to expand its drama reach in this competitive and ever-evolving TV landscape.”

Separately, Frances Manfredi is leaving NBCUniversal. Manfredi, who was President of Content Acquisitions and Strategy, was instrumental in Peacock’s acquisition of The Office.

Her exit comes after a restructure at the company, which saw all business operations for NBC, Peacock and its cable networks fall under Frances Berwick. The Brit revealed her senior leadership team earlier this year and expanded the role of Val Boreland to oversee acquisitions across the group.