Hugh Panero

Shapiro Fellow


Contact:

Email: Hugh Panero

Mr. Panero joined the School of Media and Public Affairs as a Shapiro Fellow in Fall 2016. He is the owner of Yellow Brick Road Ventures, LLC, which consults and invests in a variety of entertainment and technology companies. Over his long media career, Mr. Panero has held various executive positions building subscription, on-demand and advertiser-supported entertainment distribution businesses and has worked with a variety digital media and technology companies at various stages of growth and development. 

In 1998, he co-founded XM Satellite Radio, headquartered in Washington, DC, and served as the Chief Executive Officer of the publicly traded company until August 2007. During his tenure at XM, he grew the company from a start-up operation to America’s #1 satellite radio service, serving over 10 million subscribers growing XM from a concept into one of the fastest-growing new technologies ever outpacing the growth of wireless phones and cable television. Mr. Panero was named one of the best CEOs in America by Institutional Investor in January 2006 and one of 20 “power players” in the digital entertainment industry for 2005 by Billboard Magazine.  XM was eventually merged with its competitor Sirius, forming SiriusXM, which now serves over 30+ million customers. Working in partnership with Federal and City officials, Mr. Panero was also credited with helping to revitalize a struggling section of Washington, DC by locating XM’s headquarters in the area (NOMA).

Mr Panero has also served as a Venture Partner with New Enterprise Associates (NEA), one of the leading venture capital firms, for several years beginning in 2011 where he focused on consumer technology and media investment opportunities such has Buzzfeed, Snagfilms, among others. 

Earlier in his career, from 1993-1998, Mr. Panero served as President & CEO of Request Television, a pay-per-view network owned by Liberty Media and Twentieth Century Fox. Prior to that he spent 10 years at Time Warner Cable of New York City, where he helped build and grow the world’s largest cable system serving in several executive positions including Vice President of Marketing.

Mr. Panero has also served on several corporate boards as a Board advisor, Board representative or Board observer, including: Alarm.com, BuzzFeed, Philo, Driversiti, among others.

Mr. Panero is currently the Chairman of the Board for Hope for Henry, a non-profit organization that improves the lives of children in Washington, DC area hospitals facing life-threatening cancers and other serious illnesses. Mr. Panero has also served on the Board of CollegeTracks, an education non-profit organization, which helps Montgomery County, Maryland low-income minority public high school students get into and succeed in college and served as Chairman of the DC Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Panero received a B.A. in Government & Sociology from Clark University and has a master’s degree in Business Administration from Baruch College.


SMPA 3194.82 The Business of Media