8. Smackdown Pack

Vince and Linda McMahon
Title: Chairman, WWE; CEO, WWE;
Ages: 61; 58

Kurt Schneider
Title: EVP,  Marketing,  WWE
Age: 41
Years in Industry: 19
Years left in the industry: 19

Kevin Dunn
Title: EVP, Television Production

Tom Barreca
Title: EVP, WWE Digital
Age: 41

Why Them? It’s true, we have enough people in this slot for a tag team match. And for the record, WWE’s jump from #82 last year to #8 this year has nothing to do with the private party invitations that make their way to our offices when “Monday Night Raw” comes to town. This quintet vaults to the top of our list mainly because of its core teen and young adult audience that’s grabbed ratings for Bonnie Hammer’s USA while lowering the net’s median age (see #9, below). Schneider, Dunn and Barreca took the McMahons’ muscled menagerie and turned out a publicly traded entity with $400 million in revenue and $47 million in net profit in fiscal ’06. Schneider’s 360-degree marketing philosophy puts WWE’s brand in front of fans in movie theaters, at retail, at home on USA cable, PPV or VOD. Barreca’s behind WWE’s SVOD push, which has scored 5 of the top 10 US MSOs in just 2 years. (Up next: Mobile). Dunn is a 13-year WWE vet who produces USA’s ratings-grabbing “Monday Night Raw,” plus all the rest of WWE’s domestic, global and Web-based programming. - SA
 

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Linda McMahon

What is your favorite word? Yes
What is your least favorite word? Impossible
What turns you on? Challenge
What turns you off? Complacency
What sound do you love? “My grandchildren’s laughter.”
What sound do you hate? “Screeching tires.”
What profession other than yours would like to attempt? Medicine
What profession would you not like to participate in? Politics
If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the “Pearly Gates”? “Let’s rock.”

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Kurt Schneider

What is your favorite word? Opportunity
What is your least favorite word? Last Call
What turns you on? “My family.”
What turns you off? “Empty promises.”
What sound do you love? Thunder
What sound do you hate? Crickets
What profession other than yours would like to attempt? Acting
What profession would you not like to participate in? Motel Housekeeping
If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the “Pearly Gates”? “Churchill, Galileo, Dorothy Parker, Warhol, and your Grandfather have a seat waiting for you at their table.”

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Kevin Dunn

Defining career moment: “Line producing my 1st live show… `WrestleMania III’.”
Person I most admire in the cable industry and why: “Vince McMahon due to his innate ability to lead people.”
In my free time, I like to: “Play golf with my kids.”
Favorite restaurant: “Any restaurant where you can eat at the bar.”
Favorite city: Baltimore
Favorite song: “Life’s Been Good To Me.”
Favorite sports team: Oakland Raiders
Least favorite piece of tech:  iPod

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Tom Barreca

What is your favorite word? Dad
What is your least favorite word? Can’t
What turns you on? “Redheads (note: wife is a redhead…)”
What turns you off? Hubris
What sound do you love? Laughter
What sound do you hate? “Gunshots can’t mean anything good.”
What profession other than yours would like to attempt? Teacher
What profession would you not like to participate in? Dentistry
If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the “Pearly Gates”? “Congratulations on finally hitting Powerball. And, Vince is downstairs.”

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