NBCUniversal Hires Investment Banker for CFO Slot

5:17 PM PDT 9/7/2011 by Paul Bond

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As head of Morgan Stanley's Media & Communications Group, Stuart Epstein was a key adviser to Comcast when it took control of NBCU in January.

NBCUniversal hired as its new CFO Stuart Epstein, who heads Morgan Stanley’s Media & Communications Group and was an adviser to Comcast during its acquisition of a controlling stake in the company.

NBCU said Wednesday that Epstein will start in mid-October and that he will report to CEO Stephen Burke.

Epstein is replacing Lynn Calpeter, who in July took a top finance job with General Electric, the company that is minority partner to Comcast in the NBCU joint venture.

Though it took her a while, Calpeter was one of a long list of NBCU executives -- including former CEO Jeff Zucker -- who left the company since the $37.5 billion joint venture was formed in January.

Epstein is “a smart, capable leader with a deep understanding of the media business,” Burke said Wednesday. “Having known Stuart for years, I am also certain that he will be a great cultural fit for NBCU.”