His performance impressed executives at Comcast, NBC's parent company. In May 2020, then-NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell appointed Conde to lead NBC News Group, replacing veteran newsman Andrew Luck.
Privately, Mr. Shell acknowledged that Mr. Condé had a different background from his predecessor.
Mr. Schell said there are three types of leaders who run news organizations, according to two people familiar with his remarks. Mr. Schell was “a journalist, a politician, a businessman,'' the two men recalled. “Cesar is a politician.”
Under Mr. Conde's watch, the news division has expanded its digital efforts, and MSNBC and NBC's flagship television programs continue to enjoy strong ratings. On Friday, Comcast President Mike Kavanaugh praised Mr. Conde's stewardship of the media “during a period of transition.” “News Group's performance speaks to his outstanding leadership, especially during difficult times,” he said in a statement.
Some of Mr. Conde's moves raised eyebrows in the NBC newsroom.
He arranged for the list of on-air guests to be forwarded to his office, allowing influential and powerful visitors to stop by and say hello. When George W. Bush was interviewed by his daughter Jenna Bush Hager on “Today” in 2021, Conde said: He asked the White House to send the former president a biography in advance, two people familiar with the deal said. (Mr. Conde often speaks admiringly of his time as a fellow under then-Secretary of State Colin Powell during the Bush administration.)
Mr. Conde also maintains seats on the boards of Pepsi and Walmart, from which he earned more than $640,000 in compensation last year, according to financial filings. Newsreaders usually try to avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest. Conde said he has no involvement in editorial decisions involving the two companies. (He is also a board member of the Aspen Institute, which sponsors the Festival of Ideas. In 2021, under Conde, NBC News Group entered into a partnership to become the institute's media partner.)