ViacomCBS Veterans Network presents the 2021 VIP Meet and Greet Web Series, featuring a variety of industry professionals and C-suite executives from across ViacomCBS. These sessions are highlights from ViacomCBS Veterans Network’s first annual Veteran Immersion Program, in which transitioning veterans were able to meet with and learn from ViacomCBS executive leadership and ViacomCBS VetNet advisors and ambassadors. The Meet and Greet sessions are moderated by Richard M. Jones, EVP General Tax Counsel & Chief Veteran Officer, ViacomCBS, and/or Betty Diaz, Director of Programs & Operations, ViacomCBS.
Web Series Episode 3:
VetNet Meet & Greet with Tom Ryan, President and CEO, ViacomCBS Streaming and Mike Pannacciulli, VP Global Content Operations, ViacomCBS Streaming.
During this session both Tom and Mike gave insight into their career trajectories and some usable strategies for making the most of each stop on your personal career path. The importance of learning from failures and mistakes was highlighted by Tom as he referenced his founding of Pluto TV, which has exploded since it’s start seven years ago. Tom said that he really needed to evolve the idea, and that can happen many times until you get to the finished product. Through the ups and downs of his career, Tom gained confidence to build something he is really proud of with a group he enjoys working with each day. Like so many people that work at ViacomCBS, Mike had a passion for movies since he was a child. His very close friend's father was the one who really got him into films and he know that was the type of career he wanted. Similarly to Tom’s career, Mike explained that what has been a mostly linear path, he has had some unexpected turns along the way. Once thing that was paramount to his success was his constant ability to learn from each job. Further, learning is continuous and part of the “Learn, Earn, and Return,” mantra that Mike described this list as being a sort of guidepost to the journey. The earning portion was not only about earning a living, but also earning trust and confidence of your team. Returning was more apt to “paying it forward,” and could be done at any point in your career journey when you’re ready. Both Mike and Tom highlighted many aspects of military culture that can translate to each veteran's personal journey to a new career. “Building trust, gaining confidence, and paying it forward are all things the military instills in its members. It’s always refreshing to hear how we can still use those skills to get where we want to go in our post military careers,” says Chris Barrett, Marine veteran.
The final piece discussed in the meeting was, mentorship. That's certainly nothing knew to the military and veteran community, but it translates some aspects differently when applied in the corporate world. There is a genuine effort to support and guide the veterans at ViacomCBS. Mike sums it up nicely with this, "You enter the Veteran mentoring process with the hope and expectation you will guide and support the individual in their journey from military life to the corporate world, but what caught me by surprise is what I received in return - strong relationships, and a deeper appreciation for the sacrifices all Vets have made for our country. Lastly, the motivation and adaptability that I’ve witnessed as a mentor by the individuals I was lucky enough to work with will always stick with me and be a source of personal inspiration. In many ways I was just as much the mentee as the mentor, and am very grateful for those experiences."
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