Geraldine B. Laybourne is the founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Oxygen Media. Founded in 1998 and currently available in over 50 million cable homes, Oxygen puts a fresh spin on television for women, airing more original programming than any other woman’s network. Prior to starting Oxygen, Gerry spent 16 years at Nickelodeon – taking over management of the network in 1984. Under her leadership, Nickelodeon became the top-rated 24-hour cable network and won several notable awards including Emmys, Peabodys, Cable Ace, and Parent’s Choice awards.

From 1996-1998, Gerry was president of Disney/ABC Cable Networks where she was responsible for overseeing current cable programming for the Walt Disney Company and its ABC subsidiary. Gerry earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History from Vassar College and a Master of Science degree in Elementary Education from the University of Pennsylvania. She and her husband Kit, a producer, author and animator, have two children and one grandchild.

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