Masami Yamamoto retires to Universal Studio Group as President, BA & Operations after 23 years at NBCU

EXCLUSIVE: Veteran BA executive Masami Yamamoto is leaving NBCUniversal, where she spent most of her career — more than 23 years — most recently as president of business operations for Universal Studio Group.

Yamamoto, who is leaving at the end of 2023 and plans to take a gap year, shared the news of her impending departure in an internal memo that’s livelier and funnier than your gardener resignation letter. (You can read it in full below.)

A search for Yamamoto’s replacement will begin immediately, with Jeremy Adell, USG’s EVP Business Affairs, taking on the role in the interim.

In 2020, Yamamoto was promoted to president of business operations for Universal Studio Group – consisting of Universal Television, UCP, Universal International Studios and Universal Television Alternative Studio.

Over the past three years, “we have experienced many changes, but disruption has provided opportunities and the opportunity to grow our business,” writes Yamamoto in her letter to employees. “We worked to establish standardized contracts across all studios (and even across the pond and the Pacific). We created our own team agreements, implemented best practices and are currently using USG’s reach and momentum to close the best deals possible – as one team.”

Yamamoto, who began as an attorney at the law firm O’Melveny & Myers, began her career at NBC in 2000 in legal affairs, working on NBC-produced and acquired programs before moving to business affairs in 2001. In 2016, its reach grew. outside the network to record programming with a studio as EVP, Business Affairs, Scripted Programming for NBC Entertainment and Universal Television.

“NBCUniversal has been my home for most of my adult life – it’s where I grew up, it’s where I learned everything I know about the company, it’s where I’ve spent most of my days, it’s where I was surrounded by passionate colleagues who inspired me. It made me laugh and helped me become a better negotiator and a better person,” Yamamoto said.

She went on to explain why she is leaving the company and what she plans to do next year, while also thanking her latest boss, Universal Studio Group chairman, Pearlena Igbokwe.

My Favorite BA Team –

As I shared the news with you personally today, after more than 23 years at NBCUniversal, I will be leaving at the end of the year to take a gap year in 2024!

NBCUniversal has been my home for most of my adult life – it’s where I grew up, it’s where I learned everything I know about the company, it’s where I’ve spent most of my days, it’s where I was surrounded by passionate colleagues who inspired me, made me laugh and helped me become a better negotiator and person. I could list all my so-called “accomplishments” – but I won’t because I can’t take credit for anything. And that’s because I know that I’ve only gotten this far because of you and your hard work and the hard work of those who came before you, and under the guidance of some of the best leaders in our company and the incredible collaboration with the other features. of our company – creativity, finance, production, legal, marketing, communication and sales.

So why leave this special place? It’s not because “it’s time,” it’s because it’s the right time. For the past few years I have been researching what my ultimate goal in life is. Where am I going? What do I really want to do? What is my Ikigai? And I realized that finding out the answers to these questions while living the current version of my life is simply not possible with the only way I know how to work. So I started looking at where I was.

A little over three years ago, I was given the monumental task of unifying the BA functions within the USG. We have experienced many changes, but disruption has provided opportunities and the ability to grow our business. We’ve worked to build standardized offerings across all studios (and even across the pond and the Pacific). We created our own team agreements, implemented best practices, and currently use USG’s reach and momentum to close the best deals possible – as one team. We have created a strong foundation upon which you will continue to be successful. We did it together. There is no group like us in the industry. Please be as proud of these achievements as I am of you. We have reached a milestone and with the confidence that I will leave our group in a much stronger and more cohesive position, I know now is the right time.

In the coming year, I’m going to do what I’ve wanted to do for a long time: travel a lot, where I can really immerse myself in the experience, let it enrich my life and not just use travel as an escape. . I want to take dance classes, live in Paris and learn French, cook more (it’s a little scary when the UberEats driver recognizes you), clean, start a diary, meet old friends again and spend more time with my family in Japan . And with all the traveling and everything in between, I hope to find some of the answers I’ve been looking for – maybe even in a foreign language.

I am incredibly grateful for the time I spent at this company and will miss the phenomenal group of people I have had the honor of working with – some for over 20 years, others for a few years or even months – this is a very special group of people.

And Pearlena, who has given me all the opportunities and support over the years and made it possible for me to start this journey – I thank her from the bottom of my heart.

I will be cheering you on from different spheres of the universe – I will miss you all! Please keep in touch.

And finally –

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.