PHILADELPHIA _ David L. Cohen, the senior executive vice president of Comcast, will step away from his operational roles at the Philadelphia media giant next year, according to an email sent to staff.
In a message sent Thursday morning to Comcast employees, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts said Cohen will transition from his position in January 2020 and will remain senior executive vice president next year, as his day-to-day responsibilities shift to other executives. After 2020, Cohen will become senior advisor to the CEO, "continuing to provide advice and support to me and the other senior executives in the company," Roberts wrote.
For almost 20 years, Cohen has been a senior executive at Comcast with a broad array of responsibilities, including communications, government affairs, and corporate administration, among others. Before joining Comcast, in 2002, Cohen was a partner and chairman at the Ballard Spahr law firm, after serving as chief of staff to former Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell.
"As I look toward my 65th birthday next year, I recognized that I needed to focus on Comcast's next 10 years � who was going to be by Brian's side as he continues to lead our company into the future � and on my own personal life which has candidly taken a back seat to my professional life," Cohen said in an email to staff. "So I've decided that it's time for this transition."
In a statement, Roberts said it is "impossible to overstate David's value" to the company.
"I am deeply grateful to him as we have partnered together with a handful of executives to grow Comcast into the great company it is today," Roberts said. "His impact on Philadelphia cannot be understated and his passion for diversity and inclusion has helped transform our company and our industry."
