Holly Leff-Pressman has had her finger on the pulse of innovation in television’s content distribution, marketing and transactional business for most of her more than 30-year career.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Leff-Pressman said her focus growing up was always on a career in the entertainment business. “I always knew I was going to be in the media business, but my mom said I was going to go to law school,” she recalled.
After graduating from UCLA with a degree in international relations, Leff-Pressman would indeed earn her law degree from Loyola Marymount University in 1989, but she never strayed from her desire to land a gig in the entertainment industry. She would work at various entertainment-based companies while in school before landing a job as a litigation associate at entertainment law firm Cooper Epstein and Hurewitz in 1990.
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“We represented some of the biggest names in the business including Larry Flynt and New World [Entertainment],” she said. “But I knew I didn’t want to be a lawyer for the long haul.”
In 1992, Leff-Pressman set her sights on Viewer’s Choice, a company that was at the forefront of the then-emerging pay-per-view business. She would oversee the licensing and distribution of original and event pay-per-view and video-on-demand programming.
“It was exciting to be a part of an evolving business,” she said. “I was able to work on incredible music concerts, and we actually greenlit the launch of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.”
Wide-Ranging Roles at NBCU
Leff-Pressman in 1995 would move to NBCUniversal, eventually serving as its senior VP of worldwide PPV/SVOD and overseeing some of the company’s biggest transactional and subscription video-on-demand deals domestically and internationally.
“Back in the day companies had a home-entertainment group, a TV group and a pay-per-view group, and I kept switching between the groups and learning the business from different perspectives,” she said.
Holly has effectively influenced the growth of the industry and demonstrates how a powerful woman can effectively lead in an authentic way.”
— Kevin Goetz, Screen Engine/ASI
Leff-Pressman also said she met a number of female executives at NBCU who had a major influence in her career. She says one colleague in particular, Madeline Di Nonno, who is now CEO of The Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, helped pave the way for Pressman to transition to her next position at Nielsen as its executive VP, business development and client service.
“They were looking for someone to start and grow their television media practice,” Pressman said. “I wasn’t a researcher, but I knew the television business and was able to develop data deals with such companies as Comcast and Charter.”
In 2017, Leff-Pressman would take her talents to media research company Screen Engine/ASI, where she is currently chief client engagement officer, helping to build and expand its client base.
An Authentic Influencer
“Holly is an experienced market research expert whose insights are sought by power players in the media and the entertainment industry,” Screen Engine/ASI founder and CEO Kevin Goetz said. “Holly has effectively influenced the growth of the industry and demonstrates how a powerful woman can effectively lead in an authentic way.”
Indeed, Leff-Pressman hasn’t been afraid to take on new challenges and has shown grace and strength in the face of adversity, particularly as a breast cancer survivor. A 2018 Cable TV Pioneers inductee, Leff-Pressman said she draws much of her strength and fortitude from her husband, two daughters and stepson.
As for the future, Leff-Pressman said she’d like to tap into her creative talents and develop original content and intellectual property. She’s also focused on mentoring young women within the business.
“I’m a strong believer in looking at your skills, focusing on your strengths and being able to take what you’re good at and move toward greater goals,” she said.
