Alexandra Wallace (born ) is an American news media executive. Currently the Head of Media and Content at

Verizon Media Verizon Communications Inc., commonly known as Verizon, is an American multinational telecommunications conglomerate and a corporate component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The company is headquartered at 1095 Avenue of the Americas in ...

, she previously worked at

CBS News CBS News is the news division of the American television and radio service CBS. CBS News television programs include the ''CBS Evening News'', ''CBS Mornings'', news magazine programs '' CBS News Sunday Morning'', '' 60 Minutes'', and '' 48 H ...

and

NBC News NBC News is the news division of the American broadcast television network NBC. The division operates under NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, a division of NBCUniversal, which is, in turn, a subsidiary of Comcast. The news division's var ...

. While at NBC News, she became the first woman to be in charge of the ''Today Show'' in November 2012.

Career

Wallace graduated from

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

, where she majored in English literature. After college, she spent a year in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. Wallace started her news career at

's London bureau. With CBS, she worked on '' CBS Evening News'' and ''48 Hours'', before working as a senior producer for '' The Early Show''. After 17 years with CBS, Wallace joined

in March 2005 working on '' Weekend Today'' as executive producer. In June 2006, Wallace was promoted, becoming deputy to NBC News president

Steve Capus Stephen Allan "Steve" Capus (born October 4, 1963) is an Executive Editor of CBS News. He is the former president of NBC News. Early life and career Steve Capus was born in 1963, the son of Jean and Paul Capus. His mother is a teacher's aide; his ...

In spring 2007, she began working with

Brian Williams Brian Douglas Williams (born May 5, 1959) is an American retired journalist and television news anchor. He was a reporter for ''NBC Nightly News'' starting in 1993, before his promotion to anchor and managing editor of the broadcast in 2004. ...

as executive producer on ''

NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams ''NBC Nightly News'' (titled as ''NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt'' for its weeknight broadcasts since June 22, 2015) is the flagship daily evening News broadcasting#Television, television news program for NBC News, the news division of the NB ...

''. She was tasked with improving the show's loss of viewership to its rival

ABC News ABC News is the news division of the American broadcast network ABC. Its flagship program is the daily evening newscast ''ABC World News Tonight, ABC World News Tonight with David Muir''; other programs include Breakfast television, morning ...

show '' World News with Charles Gibson''. In October 2012, Wallace transitioned from serving another stint as Capus's deputy to being executive producer for '' Rock Center with Brian Williams.'' In November 2012, Wallace was put in charge of ''Today'' to try and reverse a ratings decline after the dismissal of former anchor Ann Curry. She became the first woman executive to run ''Today''. In 2014, Wallace took over running ''

Meet the Press ''Meet the Press'' is a weekly American television news/interview program broadcast on NBC. It is the longest-running program on American television, though the current format bears little resemblance to the debut episode on November 6, 1947. ' ...

'' during a period of poor ratings with former anchor David Gregory. By the time of her departure in July 2015, Wallace was deputy to NBC News president Deborah Turness. In 2020, in her role as head of media and content for

, Wallace took operational control of ''

HuffPost ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...

'' after

Lydia Polgreen Lydia Frances Polgreen (born 1975) is an American journalist. She is best known for having been the editor-in-chief of ''HuffPost''. She also spent about one year between 2021 and 2022 as the head of content for Gimlet Media. Prior to that she wa ...

's resignation as editor-in-chief. Wallace has won 11

Emmy Awards The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

, 2 Dupont Awards, a Gracie Award, a

Peabody Award The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Peabody, honor the most powerful, enlightening, and invigorating stories in television, radio, and ...

, as well as a

John Jay Award The John Jay Award is presented annually by Columbia College of Columbia University to its alumni for distinguished professional achievement. It is named for Founding Father of the United States John Jay, Columbia College Class of 1764. The first ...

for distinguished professional achievement from the Columbia College Alumni Association, for which she is a member of the Board of Directors. Wallace is a member of

The Council on Foreign Relations The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an American think tank specializing in U.S. foreign policy and international relations. Founded in 1921, it is a nonprofit organization that is independent and nonpartisan. CFR is based in New York Ci ...

as well as a CUP board member.

Personal life

Wallace's husband is a private school administrator in

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

; , they had two children, a son and a daughter, together.

References

External links

Biography at NBC Nightly News
Living people American television news producers Columbia College (New York) alumni Place of birth missing (living people) Emmy Award winners NBC News people Date of birth missing (living people) Year of birth missing (living people) {{US-tv-bio-stub