Bill Nelson
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Home Box Office
Bill Nelson is chairman and CEO for Home Box Office, responsible for the overall management of the world's largest premium television company which operates multiple premium networks in the United States, branded joint ventures and On Demand services internationally as well as other ancillary businesses. He was named to this position in June 2007.
Previously, Nelson was chief operating officer, a position he held since July 2002. In that capacity, he was responsible for overseeing HBO's long-term strategic initiatives and the divisions of home video, international, film licensing, finance, information technology, business affairs and legal, technology operations, sales and marketing and administration.
Nelson joined HBO in May 1984 as vice president and assistant controller, responsible for the financial aspects of HBO's general management, international finance and sales and marketing groups. In July 1985, he was named vice president and controller, and was promoted to senior vice president and chief financial officer in September 1991. In April 1994, he was made executive vice president.
Before joining HBO, Nelson worked for Time Inc. for five years as a director, External Reporting and Risk Management. In this post, he was responsible for Time's insurance and risk management activities as well as external financial reporting to shareholders and the Securities and Exchange Commission. Earlier, from 1975 to 1979, he served as an audit supervisor for Ernst &Young, a public accounting firm in New York where he became a CPA.
Nelson holds a BBA degree in accounting and finance and an MBA from Pace University in New York. He also completed Harvard University's Program for Management Development.
He is currently a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants.
Nelson also is a Vietnam combat veteran, having served with the US Army's 2/502nd Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division.