Vanguard Awards: Science & Technology: Yvette Kanouff

Yvette Kanouff serves as executive vice president, corporate engineering & technology at Cablevision Systems. She is responsible for implementing the company’s strategic technology and critical engineering objectives, as well as identifying emerging technology opportunities.

Kanouff also oversees the development and integration of new products for the company, from conceptualization to implementation as well as the integration, testing and deployment of the company’s internal IT systems. She also plays an active role in developing and leveraging technologies through third-party business relationships or acquisitions.

Kanouff also established the authentication that enables Optimum TV customers to access nearly 50 TV to Go offerings included in their subscription using a supported desktop, laptop or mobile device. Cablevision won a technology and engineering Emmy last year for its cloudbased DVR product. In addition to product improvements, Kanouff spearheaded significant advanced monitoring projects that make it possible to detect the vast majority of technical issues before they affect customers. As a result, Cablevision has signifi cantly reduced customer-service calls and truck rolls.

The NCTA this year will honor Kanouff with its Vanguard Award for Science & Technology, given to individuals who have played a significant role in product improvement, as well as in the design and development of engineering techniques.

Before joining Cablevision, Kanouff served as president of SeaChange International, an on-demand software/product company, spearheading its transition from a hardware manufacturer to a software firm while helping to move the industry towards Web-centric, open-standardsbased solutions and architectures. As chief strategy officer at SeaChange, she established the company’s software division and expanded its leadership position in the videoon- demand arena.

Prior to joining SeaChange in 1997, Kanouff served as Time Warner Cable’s director of interactive technologies, responsible for managing technical departments including system integration, software quality, advanced network technologies, and system software for the world’s first digital interactive television and video-on-demand launch.

Kanouff has received many industry awards and acknowledgements throughout her career. Broadcasting & Cable has named her one of the 11 most influential women in the television industry and Multichannel News honored her as a Wonder Woman in 2001. She has also been awarded the Woman in Technology honor from the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers and Women in Cable and Telecommunications.

In addition to her duties at Cablevision, Kanouff is an executive member of WICT, a senior member of the SCTE and a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and holds a master’s of science degree in mathematics.

Fun Fact:

Kanouff has won an Emmy Award for her work on video-on-demand with SeaChange and holds several patents on VOD-related digital technologies.