Building the Best Team with Nancy Tellem

Denise Ilitch show

Denise talks to Nancy Tellem, one of the most respected voices in the entertainment industry. After practicing law in Los Angeles for a brief four years, Nancy knew it wasn’t her calling and jumped into an industry she’s loved since childhood—television. She was an Executive Vice President for Warner Brothers and then ascended to the Presidency of the CBS Network Television Entertainment Group, only the second woman in television history to hold the top post at a major broadcast network.

Now, as the Executive Chairperson for Eko, a digital media company, Nancy has had many accomplishments that she can be incredibly proud of. Believe it or not, she’s MOST proud of her recent endeavor co-founding BasBlue, a non-profit social membership organization for women. Located inside a renovated historic mansion in Midtown Detroit, BasBlue offers educational seminars, mentorship, and other programming with industry experts. Her days at Warner Brothers and CBS taught her the value of building an amazing team, and the talented group who helped to launch BasBlue are just that.

Born and raised in California, Nancy committed to living in Detroit fulltime, following her husband Arn Tellem after he took a position as Vice Chairman of the Detroit Pistons basketball franchise. Nancy loves the city and the extraordinary women she’s met there. Not to mention the time she enjoys being close to her grandchildren.

Listen to learn from Nancy (a) how she faced the tough decision to leave CBS without knowing what she’d do next, (b) how she maintains her confidence, (c) what she would say to her younger self about taking risks and, (d) her advice to those seeking both corporate and non-profit board positions.

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Nancy Tellem is Executive Chairperson of Eko, former President of Xbox Entertainment Studios, past President of the CBS Network Television Entertainment Group and former Executive Vice President of Business and Financial Affairs for Warner Brothers. Tellem has been inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame, was on Forbes magazine’s annual list of “The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women” and won many awards and honors for her career in network television. In 2020, Nancy co-founded BasBlue, Detroit’s first-ever nonprofit space dedicated to fostering leadership opportunities for women. She holds board positions with Eko, Metro-Goldwyn Mayer Studios, Rocket Companies, Nielsen Holdings and Struum. Tellem is a graduate of University of California Berkeley and holds a JD from the University of California Hastings College of Law. She and her husband Arn Tellem have three sons and live in Detroit.

Denise Ilitch, an owner of Ilitch Family Companies and President of Ilitch Enterprises, has been a part of Detroit’s business and philanthropic community for over 40 years. As a mother, lawyer, entrepreneur, devoted community servant and tireless advocate for women and children, she learned early, from her father, that everyone is worthy of contributing to the world. Her passion for affordable, accessible, quality education stems from her own experience as a first-generation student, earning a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan, where she currently serves on the Board of Regents, and a law degree from the University of Detroit Law School.

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