The secret of success for Sharon Peters, executive VP and chief marketing officer at Charter Communications, is no secret at all. “I was always focused on proving myself as an individual,” Peters said. “I’m willing to work really hard and I always spoke up and made my ambitions known.”
That work ethic doesn’t go unnoticed by her superiors, peers and direct reports. “Sharon is the hardest-working person I know,” Charter group VP of digital marketing Rohan Kumar said. “She’s like a superhero, and her super powers are her work ethic, discipline, attention to detail, ability to execute and her leadership.”
That level of ambition meant jumping in and taking on projects and departments that she didn’t know much about. But she learned through trial and error that she could roll up her sleeves, figure it out and get it done.
“I always had to do the next job before I got it,” she said. “I’ve always been willing to take that risk and take on more responsibilities. There were some times where I would get a responsibility and I didn’t know a thing about it but I found that after a time, I became an expert in it.”
After graduating from Villanova University, Peters got her start as an intern at Cablevision Systems’s SportsChannel (later sold to Fox Sports Net). Working for the regional sports networks proved to be a good introduction to cable — while there, Peters supported marketing, public relations, programming and production.
I always had to do the next job before I got it. I’ve always been willing to take that risk and take on more responsibilities.’
— Sharon Peters
“I was very focused on everything that I worked on, on learning about the business and on meeting people and developing relationships,” she said.
At Cablevision, she worked her way up to VP of media and original programming. She was an early adopter of data, analytics and advanced advertising practices, having integrated addressable TV into her business practices as early as 2000.
Peters left Cablevision in 2016 to join Charter as group VP, marketing, and in that role she helped oversee the launch of Charter’s Spectrum brand after Charter completed its acquisitions of Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks. She since has risen to full oversight of marketing at Charter, and beyond. She was promoted to senior VP, marketing, in 2021 and one year ago was named Charter’s executive VP and CMO.
“For any major company, marketing is the engine that powers customer growth, and Sharon and her team are constantly experimenting with new ways to exceed those expectations with their talent for campaigns that showcase our brand and are popular with consumers,” said Adam Ray, Charter executive VP and chief commercial officer, to whom Peters reports. “Sharon is passionate about all things marketing; that love of craft, combined with her deep industry knowledge and her ability to lead her team to great heights, sets her apart in this industry.”
Marketing as a Growth Driver
In her role as CMO, she takes her love of marketing to new places, overseeing all of Charter’s marketing-related functions. In the end, though, “what I tell my team is that we have one goal, which is to grow customers for the company,” she said.
“Sharon and I started working together 22 years ago at Cablevision,” Charter senior VP, marketing and creative strategy Joe Leonard said. “It was clear then that she was destined to make an impact, and she continues to be at the forefront of new strategies and ideas that drive results in the industry. Sharon is hard working and compassionate, and cares deeply not only for the business but for the people she works with.”
Right now, Charter’s — and thus Peters’s — primary focus is on how it keeps its customers connected to the world through its Spectrum One suite of products, including high-speed internet, advanced Wi-Fi and unlimited mobile.
While she keeps an eye on all of that, she also works with Charter’s local and regional operators to get the word out about Spectrum’s involvement in the Federal Communications Commission’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF). It’s part of the company’s $5 billion investment, including more than $1 billion won in the recent RDOF auction, in underserved rural communities.
“I love to work on projects where you feel like you are helping people get what they need,” Peters said. She also led the launch of Spectrum Internet Assist, which provides broadband service for people with lower incomes.
“I really identify with those types of programs,” she said, noting that she got through college with financial aid and work/study programs. “They allow us to do something good for people as well as for the business.” ■
