Meet our Speakers

Bajaria also oversees some scripted originals including the hit series YOU and the upcoming Locke and Key and Daybreak among others. She also leads the team responsible for working with studios to co-produce and co-license series internationally with Netflix, including Star Trek: Discovery (CBS), Bodyguard (BBC), Riverdale, and Good Girls (Universal Television), among others. Previously, Bajaria was President of Universal Television, where she shepherded creative programming including the Emmy-nominated Netflix comedy Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, as well as hit primetime broadcast series Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Mindy Project, Bates Motel, Grimm and Chicago Fire. Earlier, she held two key posts simultaneously: Senior VP, Cable Programming for CBS TV Studios, and Senior VP of Movies and Miniseries for the CBS network. She was previously the President of the Hollywood Radio & Television Society and served on the boards of Women in Film and the executive board of the Television Academy; she currently serves on the board of Los Angeles’ Saban Community Clinic. She is involved in a variety of philanthropic endeavors, including SAHARA, a non-profit organization that serves victims of domestic violence. Bajaria has been honored by the “I Have a Dream” Foundation of Los Angeles, The March of Dimes Foundation, and was given the Industry Leadership Award from the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles. Bajaria resides in Los Angeles with her husband and three children. 

An ardent advocate for gender parity and a fierce champion of women, Lorrie serves as a founding Executive Board Member of the Time’s Up movement. In this role, Lorrie is an active voice for both ICM and her community at large, helping to create and defend a safer workplace environment for all and raise the necessary funds to help the legal fees for women facing sexual abuse in all industries.

Her list of clients includes three-time Emmy winner, Golden Globe winner and Oscar-nominated actress Regina King. Kings recent commitment to gender parity during her Golden Globe acceptance speech echoes Lorrie’s stance at the forefront of ICM Partners’ initiative to be gender neutral, 50/50 by 2020 – the first entertainment industry company to make such a pledge and follow through with a strong program that is on track to meeting its goal of inclusion.

In addition to Regina King, as ICM’s Motion Picture Department Co-head Lorrie represents many exceptional artists including, “Green Book” co-star Linda Cardellini, Academy Award nominees Michael Keaton and Ruth Negga, actress, author and host of her own E! Entertainment series Busy Philipps, “Whiskey Cavalier” star and producer Scott Foley, “Breaking Bad’s” 2-time Emmy winner Anna Gunn, Laverne Cox (Orange Is The New Black, Rocky Horror Picture Show), Josh Duhamel (Transformers, Life As We Know It), Lucy Liu (Elementary, Charlie’s Angels), Laura Harrier (Spiderman: Homecoming, Blakkklansman), Lucy Hale (Life Sentence, Pretty Little Liars), Rodrigo Santoro (Westworld, 300) and Nazanin Boniadi (Ben-Hur, Hotel Mumbai, Homeland).

Prior to that, she parlayed her network and knowledge as a media business journalist to found consulting practice Melinc, where she launched and executive produced TV and media industry conferences such as Next TV Summit and TV Data Summit.

Among her journalism roles, she was the first female Editor-in-Chief of TV industry publication Broadcasting & Cable. She also held editorial leadership positions at The Hollywood Reporter and TVWeek and was a staff reporter covering TV at Variety.

While at B&C, she created, launched and produced the Keynotes & Cocktails: Women of the West and Women of NY and conferences.

She has provided expert commentary on such outlets as CNBC, CNN, MSNBC, NPR and Fox News Channel. Grego also was a special correspondent for the TV show “Extra” and hosted and produced video reports for The Hollywood Reporter and Billboard. She’s lectured at UCLA, USC and regularly moderates panels and Q&As with TV and media industry figures around the world.

Smith-Anoa’i reports to Kelly Kahl, President, CBS Entertainment, on new and existing programs that foster inclusion across the division, and to Chris Ender, Executive Vice President, Communications, CBS Corporation, for her ongoing CBS Communications activities.

In this position, Smith-Anoa’i oversees the entertainment division’s diversity & inclusion initiatives and develops new programs that recruit, nurture and hire inclusive talent to work in front of and behind the camera. In addition, she serves as the entertainment liaison to multi-cultural coalitions and provides outreach to agencies, guilds and other industry organizations.

She had been Senior Vice President of Entertainment Diversity & Communications since 2015. Since being appointed Vice President, Entertainment Diversity & Communications, CBS Entertainment, in 2009, Smith-Anoa’i created and launched “CBS On Tour,” a community outreach program in which executives visit schools to educate and encourage students interested in entertainment careers; expanded the writer selection process for “The CBS Diversity Sketch Comedy Showcase”; implemented an annual symposium with casting directors to strategize on best practices to diversify the casting process; partnered with GLAAD to host learning workshops; and joined forces with the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media to encourage roles for women in front of and behind the camera.

In February 2018, Smith-Anoa’i co-founded and helped launch CBS EYE Speak, a program designed to promote female empowerment and help forge a path of growth and opportunity for women, both inside and outside of the Company. Since its inception, the group has held several events, including screenings, panels and fireside chats with some of the strongest female voices in front of and behind the camera.

In addition to her executive duties, Smith-Anoa’i, who first joined CBS Entertainment in 2000 as a Senior Publicist for primetime series, continues to draw upon her background and talents as a network publicist, leading west coast efforts on various projects and Network specials, including the annual Grammy Awards®.

Prior to her work at CBS, Smith-Anoa’i was responsible for all aspects of publicity and promotions for Image Public Relations. There, she took on a multitude of projects, including organizing the global press outreach for “Sinbad’s Soul Music Festival.” Preceding her position at Image Public Relations, Smith-Anoa’i worked for NIKE, Inc. where she launched their NIKETOWN stores in Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco.

Smith-Anoa’i’s community service and charity work includes the Human Rights Campaign, #SeeHer, AdColor, Easterseals Disability Challenge, Young Storytellers, The Unusual Suspects and Jack and Jill of America, Incorporated. She serves as a board member for ColorComm, Big Sunday, The Muslim Public Affairs Council and on the business advisory board for the National Hispanic Media Coalition. She is also a Board of Trustee member for The Archer School for Girls.

Smith-Anoa’i maintains a close relationship with her alma mater, Howard University, where she graduated with honors from the School of Communications. In 2013, Howard University presented her with the “Global Visionary Award” for Outstanding Leadership in Diversity and Communications.

Since parting from the Chair, she has taken on the role of Producer as a partner/co-founder in PatMa Productions alongside acclaimed director/producer Denise Di Novi. Under PatMa, the team is developing a variety of film, television and theatre projects with an emphasis on inclusion. Additionally, in 2017, Tassler successfully published her first book, “What I Told My Daughter: Lessons from Leaders on Raising the Next Generation of Empowered Women” through Simon & Schuster. The book is comprised of essays from an array of iconic women leaders including Madeleine Albright, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Geena Davis, Peggy Orenstein, Cecile Richards and more.

Tassler serves on the Board of Jewish Family Services, is a member of the Ambassador Council of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media and serves on the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Executive Committee and on the Board of Directors of the Academy Foundation. She is a member of the Board of Trustees for Boston University and the Board of Hemisphere Media Group. 

Other television credits include Franklin and Bash, Made In Jersey, NCIS: New Orleans, Grimm, Hostages and Do No Harm.

Trucks is an alumna of both Interlochen Arts Academy and the University of Michigan’s Musical Theatre Program. She currently resides in Los Angeles and can be found on social media with @tonitrucks.

While at CNN, Turner’s work included leading the network’s coverage from the red carpet at the Grammys, Golden Globes and Oscars as well as her live coverage of breaking news, including the death of music legend Whitney Houston.

Turner began her journalism career in 1998 when she joined WEHT as a reporter and fill-in anchor in Evansville, Ind. In 2000, Turner was a weekday reporter and weekend anchor for WVUE-TV FOX8 in New Orleans. After establishing a presence in news, Turner joined KTTV in Los Angeles in 2004 as a reporter on Good Day LA and anchor for Good Day LA Weekend. Just a few months after leaving, she returned to New Orleans to cover Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. Her coverage of the disaster won several journalism awards.

As an avid sports fan, Turner’s passion and knowledge came in handy when she joined FOX NFL Sunday as a sideline reporter for national football broadcasts in 2007. In addition to covering football, major league baseball and basketball for FOX, Turner became a host for Extra on Essence in 2009, an online entertainment show focusing on Hollywood’s most elite stars. Turner also has served as a freelance reporter and host for KNBC.

In addition to appearing as an entertainment news expert for CNN and HLN’s Michaela, The Dr. Drew Show and The Daily Share, Turner was featured in multiple episodes of The Young and the Restless.

Turner attended the University of Missouri where she earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and broadcast news. 

In her position, Vuong oversees development of new alternative programs, including reality series, game shows and other non-scripted programming. She also oversees CBS’ current slate of reality franchises, including Survivor, The Amazing Race, Big Brother and Undercover Boss. Vuong recently oversaw the first-ever U.S. celebrity edition of Big Brother, as well as TKO: Total Knock Out, hosted by Kevin Hart. She will also supervise the upcoming series World’s Beat, Million Dollar Mile from LeBron James, and the U.S. version of the hit international format, Love Island.

Vuong joined CBS in 2011 as Director, Alternative Programming. She was promoted to Vice President, Alternative Programming in 2012, and from 2013-2017 she served as Vice President, Alternative Series Development. During this period, she helped develop The Case of: JonBenét Ramsey.

Prior to joining CBS, Vuong spent 10 years in unscripted programming in various producing capacities, working on shows such as Survivor, Big Brother, The Bachelor, Hell’s Kitchen and Dancing with the Stars.