Ray Rodriquez to Retire from Univision

NEW YORK: Univision Communications today announced that its president and COO, Ray Rodriguez, is retiring from his post at the end of this year after almost two decades with the U.S. Hispanic broadcasting group.

Cesar Conde, the company’s executive VP and chief strategy officer, has been upped to president of Univision Networks, effective October 1 and based in Miami. Conde reports to Joe Uva, Univision’s CEO, who now takes on the additional responsibility of president following Rodriguez’s exit. Rodriguez began his career with Univision in 1990, when it was owned by the Hallmark Network. He has since served as senior VP and operating manager of the Univision Network and president of the Univision Network, Galavisión Network and the TeleFutura Network, before taking on his current post.

“Ray has been an invaluable part of the Univision family and I want to personally thank him for his many contributions to the company’s success, as well as for his role in the popularization and proliferation of Hispanic media in this country," Uva said. "His extraordinary vision, commitment to the Hispanic community and innate ability to program our networks with content that resonates with our audience have been instrumental in establishing and growing our clear number one position and defining Spanish-language news and entertainment as we know it today. I know that I speak for everyone at Univision in wishing him all the best as he enters this next chapter of his life.”

“I am honored to have had the opportunity to lead and serve alongside such a talented, dedicated and innovative group of individuals, beginning with Jerry Perenchio, whose vision and leadership created the foundation for Univision’s outstanding growth over the years,” said Rodriguez. “I am proud of how the company has grown by leaps and bounds during my tenure, expanding its offerings and platforms while continuing to deliver a superior product and fostering strong community ties with our viewers. With a clear path for future growth, today Univision is in great shape. With this in mind, I have decided that this is the right time for me to prepare to retire from the company. I am more than confident that the company will continue to thrive in the capable hands of Joe Uva and his management team and with the support of the company’s owners.”