Career Spotlight: with Pooja Midha

As part of an ongoing series of career "case studies" with top media, marketing and technology executives who are leading transformation across our industry, I sat down with Luma Partners EIR and former EVP and General Manager of Effectv (now Comcast Advertising) Pooja Midha to talk about her career path to the C-Suite.

***

How did you decide to pursue a career in the media and advertising business? Was there a breakthrough role, moment, or mentor that paved the way for your future success?

I wish I could say there was a grand plan, but like many good things, it happened through curiosity, serendipity, and a little courage. I was an international student and I knew I wanted to stay in the USA after graduation, which meant I needed a job that would sponsor a work visa. So I made a practical decision to look for roles at big companies (and New York has a lot of big companies). I applied to a few different fields but was naturally drawn to media because I’ve always loved and voraciously consumed stories, news, and content of all kinds.

During college, I had a summer internship that brought me into the orbit of the media world and, more importantly, introduced me to Michelle Evenson who was at Dow Jones. We met at a dinner, and two years later that connection led to my first full-time job in sales. It was my initial lesson in the quiet power of relationships. When a connection feels real, invest in it, hold onto it. You never know where it might lead.

That first job was both exhilarating and terrifying. I applied for a role I was wildly underqualified for, convinced them to take a chance on me, and then spent months thinking I was probably going to get fired. I was way over my skis, but I listened a lot, asked questions, and learned fast. Then fate intervened: a string of team members unexpectedly left the company or went on leave, and suddenly, I was covering multiple desks and managing forecasts, management reports, clients, and chaos. It was trial by fire, and to my own surprise, I thrived and somehow didn’t let any balls drop.

That experience taught me one of the biggest lessons of my career: when a door opens unexpectedly, even if it looks scary, walk through it. It’s often in those moments of stretch and discomfort that you will discover (and get to show) what you’re capable of. That early leap set the pattern for how I’ve approached every big inflection point since.

What career moments stand out as true inflection points in your journey from sales and marketing leadership to general management with P&L responsibility?

A few moments stand out, several of which began as something unexpected or even uncomfortable.

The first was at Nickelodeon, where I made a sharp pivot from sales into marketing, a domain where I felt my sales experience and understanding of brands and buyers would be well applied. I had a lot of ideas, energy, and given I didn’t have the traditional “right” experience, did a ton to prepare. When I interviewed, the hiring manager (the legendary Pam Kaufman) told me within minutes that I wasn’t the right fit — wrong background, wrong industry, wrong experience. Somehow, I convinced her otherwise. That moment taught me that “no” is often just the beginning of a real conversation, and that conviction, preparation, and curiosity can nudge open a closed door. Also, if part of leadership is taking appropriate risks for the business, we should all remember that this applies to talent and hiring decisions. I appreciate Pam took a risk on me, one that turned out well for both of us, others did as well. It’s a pattern that repeats in my experience.

Years later, I knew I had to learn digital. I’d spent years in linear television, spent time working internationally, and dabbled in online marketing, but I could see where the industry was heading. So, I stepped back into revenue leadership, but purposefully into a role that was purely digital, knowing I’d have to learn a new language. Once again, I found a boss willing to take a risk on me, though he told me didn’t see it that way having worked with me when I was in marketing (thank you Kevin Arrix!). I was lucky to be surrounded by teammates who knew more than I did, and I absorbed everything.

Another major turning point came when I met the amazing Geri Wang from ABC on an early morning flight. What began as small talk between two women in business turned into a long, wide-ranging conversation about leadership, family, and curiosity. Much later, that connection led to my role leading Digital Sales and Operations at ABC. I made it a condition that operations report to me, because I wanted to more deeply understand how the technology and workflow functioned. No better way than being on the hook for it! That decision, and the work that sprang from it, shaped how I think as a general manager: the go-to-market story, sales strategy, and operational backbone must reinforce each other.

And finally later, being turned down for a GM role I wanted became its own inflection point. The feedback — that I lacked full P&L and technical leadership experience — was fair and something I benefited from hearing. Instead of seeing that feedback as a setback, I treated it as a roadmap. Interestingly, I eventually did work for the person kind enough to give me that feedback. Once again, “no” can be the beginning of an, albeit long, conversation. When I think about it, the lessons I’ve learned and friendships I’ve made with jobs I did not get, have in many cases turned out to be as meaningful as with jobs I did get.

My next role, as President of true[X] arose from another relationship - at ABC we were early partners of true[X] working with founders Joe Marchese and Dave Levy, gave me my first opportunity to truly operate end to end, across all functions, and to balance vision with the daily discipline of execution.

If there’s a pattern in all of it, it’s leaning into the stretch and having an enterprise mindset. Every meaningful leap in my career came from thinking like an owner, and purposefully walking toward what I didn’t yet know..

***

At Effectv (now Comcast Advertising), you oversaw sales, operations, technology, data, and customer experience. How did you develop the breadth of expertise required to lead across such a diverse set of functions beyond your foundational experience in sales and marketing?

The truth is, I didn’t start with that breadth. I liked the idea of painting with all the colors, but really it was built one stretch role at a time. Each move added a new dimension: sales focused me on the customer, marketing taught me storytelling and brand strategy, digital roles taught me how technology and data power monetization, and leading operations at ABC taught me that executional excellence is as strategic and important as vision, and that nothing works unless you align the different functions. Throughout all of it I took notes on how to manage people and build a high functioning team.

What ties it all together is curiosity to learn and the humility to admit what you don’t know. Being open about both accelerates learning and earns trust. Early in every new role or domain, I ask questions, listen carefully, and dig into how the pieces fit together. It’s about connecting dots and figuring out how the puzzle pieces fit together or could better fit together across functions. That’s a lot of what drives transformation.

It also helps that I really like learning new things. I grew up skiing but decided to learn to snowboard as an adult. It was beyond humbling to be falling or slowing the chairlift, but the first time I linked turns, it was so exhilarating it made any bumps or ego bruises beyond worth it. Work can feel that way too when you get out of your comfort zone.

Over time, I also realized that leadership isn’t being the smartest person in the room or having every answer. It’s about creating clarity, making sure everyone knows what we’re solving for and why, and then building the conditions where people can bring their best thinking forward. When you do that well, you don’t need to have every answer, because your team will help you find the right ones together.

***

In your roles at Comcast, you led complex, multi-screen TV advertising businesses during a period of tremendous change and disruption. What qualities or skills did you need to cultivate to successfully lead teams in this context? What lessons did you learn?

Leading through transformation and disruption is mostly about learning to stay calm in the face of uncertainty and focused on the mission. In fast-moving industries, you never have perfect information or conditions. Waiting for either can be paralyzing. One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is that leaders must make decisions even when the path isn’t clear. You can always adjust later, but indecision can erode confidence faster than a wrong turn.

Clarity is another essential skill, not just knowing where you want to go, but being able to explain why and what it means for everyone involved. When people understand the “why,” they can make smarter choices on their own, even as circumstances change, and when they know what it means for them they are better able to operate through change and stay motivated.

But as I mentioned before, great leadership doesn’t come from having all the answers. It comes from building a culture where the right answer can emerge. My job has often been to set direction, create alignment, and remove barriers so that the brilliant people around me can do their best thinking. The most effective teams I’ve led weren’t ones where everyone agreed with me, they were ones where people felt safe enough to challenge each other and me but ultimately still move forward together.

Finally, I think the ability to adapt, to pivot without drama, to recalibrate without ego is what separates resilient people and organizations from fragile ones. Change isn’t a phase in our business; it's constant. The people who thrive are the ones who meet change with curiosity instead of resistance, and use that momentum to create what comes next.

***

As the television and streaming businesses continue to evolve, what leadership skills and strategies do you think are most important to stay ahead and continue to add value?

I’ve spent my whole career hearing that we’re in a period of unprecedented change, and while it’s always been true, I’ve come to believe that’s just the nature of this business. The pace of change isn’t the challenge or the point; it’s how we respond to it.

First, curiosity and continuous learning are non-negotiable. You have to stay open to new ideas, technologies, and ways of working, even when they threaten what you already know.

Second, relationships still matter more than ever. Our industry runs on technology, but it thrives on trust. The reputation you build, for integrity, fairness, and partnership, is one of the few things that doesn’t get disrupted.

Third, there’s enormous value in embracing serendipity. So many pivotal moments in my career started with something unplanned; a conversation on a plane, an unexpected opportunity, a project I wasn’t sure I was ready for. Staying open, saying yes when it’s uncomfortable, and following your curiosity often lead you exactly where you need to go.

Finally, just be a human. The more data-driven and automated our world and this industry becomes, the more people crave authenticity and empathy. Teams flourish when they feel seen, empowered, and supported. Some of the best ideas start with admitting you don’t have the answer. Partnership requires trust and reciprocity. And everyone appreciates people that have a sense of humor. If we keep that human element at the center, even as everything else evolves and shifts, we’ll always find our footing.