Debra L. Lee’s ascent to the highest levels of Black Entertainment Television (BET) is akin to that of a soaring rocketship – fast, majestic, graceful and awesome to watch. Her achievements at BET, her numerous accolades from across the cable industry and her immaculate reputation make Lee one of this country’s most revered and respected business executives. Not only is she the highest ranking African-American woman at BET’s parent company Viacom, Lee clearly embodies the prototypical corporate leader of the new millenium.

Lee is the president and chief operating officer of BET, the leading media and entertainment company targeted to African Americans. Prior to her appointment as COO in March 1996, Lee served as the network’s executive vice president of strategic business development. During her tenure at BET, Lee has played some of the most pivotal roles in the company’s history, including executive vice president and general counsel of BET’s legal affairs department; corporate secretary; and president and publisher of BET’s publishing division.

Lee has shown over her career a propensity to multi-task. She was facing the birth of her first child and overseeing the entire construction of BET’s corporate headquarters in northeast Washington , DC while simultaneously running BET’s publishing division and acting as BET General Counsel. Both the baby – and the sprawling BET campus – were delivered on schedule and in perfect condition.

As a network, BET was the first of its kind in television history. Since its founding in 1980, BET has successfully pioneered an entire genre of music, entertainment, news and public affairs programming for African Americans – a feat that some current and upstart networks are trying to duplicate. The majority of that success has come under the leadership and direction of Debra Lee.

1/2006