Jo Ann Ross

Jo Ann Ross was named President, Network Sales, CBS Television Network, in October 2002. As the Network's chief sales executive, she is responsible for all sales for CBS Entertainment, Sports, Daytime, News and Late Night.

Ross was previously Executive Vice President of Sales for CBS since September 1998. As the Unit's second-highest-ranking executive, she had oversight of all sales for CBS's primetime schedule. Ross played a major role in creating new ways to sell Network programming, including reality, scripted, news and late-night genres. Perhaps most notably, the creativity behind the sales execution of SURVIVOR has become the industry model for selling reality television.

Ross joined CBS in 1992 as Vice President of Olympic Sales, in charge of Network sales for the Lillehammer Winter Olympics in 1994 and the Nagano Winter Olympics in 1998. During this time, Ross also had a hand in sports marketing and special events, as well as primetime and late night sales.

Prior to joining CBS, Ross was with the ABC Network for three years, where she sold daytime before being named a Prime Account Executive. Before that, Ross worked at the media buying firm Bozell, starting as a assistant buyer and working her way up to Senior Vice President, where she ran the network buying department.

Ross was recently inducted into Broadcasting & Cable’s Hall of Fame and has been one of Hollywood Reporter’s “100 Most Powerful Women in Entertainment” for many years running. Additionally she was named the Women in Sports and Entertainment Woman of the Year in 2005, and in September 2002 was named one of Advertising Age's “Media Mavens,” an annual compilation of the industry's top media stars.