William H. Roedy (born June 13, 1948) is an American business executive, military veteran, global health ambassador, politician, and author. He also ran for Mayor of Miami Beach in the 2023 election. Roedy joined MTV in 1989 as the

chief executive A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization. CEOs find roles in variou ...

and

managing director A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization. CEOs find roles in variou ...

MTV Europe MTV Global (formerly MTV Europe) is the international version of the American TV channel MTV as 24-hour music video and entertainment pay television network officially launched on 1 August 1987 as part of the worldwide MTV network. Initia ...

. In 1994, he became the president of MTV Networks International. By 2007, he was elevated to the position of chairman-CEO of the division and Vice Chairman of

MTV Networks Paramount Media Networks is the division of Paramount Global that oversees the operations of its television channels and online brands. The division was originally founded as MTV Networks in 1984, named after MTV. It would be known under this ...

. Between 2007 and 2011, Roedy served as the president and

chief executive officer A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization. CEOs find roles in variou ...

(CEO) of MTV International. Roedy is the founder and chairman of MTV's Staying Alive Foundation.

Early life and education

Bill Roedy was born on June 13, 1948, in

Boston, Massachusetts Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

to a family of Irish descent. At the age of three, his parents separated, and he was subsequently raised by his single mother in

Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...

. He chose a military career, attended

West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), commonly known as West Point, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York that educates cadets for service as Officer_(armed_forces)#United_States, comm ...

and graduated with a

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, B.S., B.Sc., SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree that is awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Scienc ...

degree in 1970. In 1977, he left his military career to attend

Harvard Business School Harvard Business School (HBS) is the graduate school, graduate business school of Harvard University, a Private university, private Ivy League research university. Located in Allston, Massachusetts, HBS owns Harvard Business Publishing, which p ...

and graduated with an MBA degree.

Military career

Roedy served in the military from 1970 to 1977, holding the roles of

Air Defense Artillery The Air Defense Artillery Branch is the Anti-aircraft warfare, air defense branch of the United States Army, specializing in the use of anti-aircraft weapons (such as surface-to-air missiles) to conduct anti-aircraft warfare operations. In the ...

officer and Airborne Ranger. His service record is distinguished by his volunteer duty in the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...

, along with his command of three

North Atlantic Treaty Organization The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental transnational military alliance of 32 member states—30 European and 2 North American. Established in the aftermat ...

(NATO) nuclear missile bases in

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

. By the conclusion of his service, Roedy had risen to the rank of Captain. His contributions and bravery during his tenure in the armed forces were recognized with several awards, including the

Bronze Star The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. Wh ...

and

Air Medal The Air Medal (AM) is a military decoration of the United States Armed Forces. It was created in 1942 and is awarded for single acts of heroism or meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight. Criteria The Air Medal was establi ...

in Vietnam War, Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with

Silver Star The Silver Star Medal (SSM) is the United States Armed Forces' third-highest military decoration for valor in combat. The Silver Star Medal is awarded primarily to members of the United States Armed Forces for gallantry in action against a ...

, and the Meritorious Service Medal.

Media career

In 1979, Roedy switched his career path and joined

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...

as a manager of national accounts. During the subsequent years, he remained a member of the team that spearheaded the expansion of the network, working with the leading cable companies in the US. From 1983 to 1989, he served as vice president of HBO. In 1989, Roedy joined

as the

and

. In 2000, following the merger of Viacom with CBS, Roedy, then serving as president of MTV and VH1 International, assumed the role of president at MTV Networks International, overseeing all non-U.S. operations, including the Nickelodeon channel, later adding the Paramount channels. In 2011, Roedy retired and left MTV Networks as the

chairman The chair, also chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the gro ...

and CEO of MTV Networks International and vice chairman of MTV Networks. During his tenure, MTV Networks expanded its presence to 162 countries, reaching nearly two billion people with a network of 172 channels that included MTV, Nickelodeon, VH1, VIVA, TMF, Game One, Comedy Central, and Paramount Comedy. In 2011, Roedy authored a book titled ''What Makes Business Rock''. The memoir recounted his career progression from military service to the establishment and expansion of MTV, a prominent youth entertainment business, in 165 countries. The book won CNBC's Best Book of Summer 2011.

Global health leadership

In 1998, Roedy assumed the role of the inaugural

ambassador An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or so ...

for

UNAIDS The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS; , ONUSIDA) is the main advocate for accelerated, comprehensive and coordinated global action on the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The mission of UNAIDS is to lead, strengthen and support an ex ...

, an initiative established by the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

that concentrates on the global combat against HIV/AIDS. In the same year, he founded the MTV Staying Alive Foundation and served as its chair. The foundation has funded 272 small initiatives in 60 countries. Between 1999 and 2002, Roedy chaired the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, which he co-founded. In 2002, Roedy received the Award for Business Excellence from U.S. President

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...

, representing the Global Business Coalition and the International AIDS Trust, in recognition of his exceptional contributions. In November 2004, Roedy was presented with the International Emmy Founders Award at the 32nd International Emmy Awards. He was honored for his transformative impact on television music and his significant contributions to global AIDS advocacy. In 2005,

Kofi Annan Kofi Atta Annan (8 April 193818 August 2018) was a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh secretary-general of the United Nations from 1997 to 2006. Annan and the UN were the co-recipients of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize. He was the founder a ...

, the

Secretary-General of the United Nations The secretary-general of the United Nations (UNSG or UNSECGEN) is the chief administrative officer of the United Nations and head of the United Nations Secretariat, one of the United Nations System#Six principal organs, six principal organs of ...

, appointed Roedy as the founding chair of the Leadership Committee for the Global Media AIDS Initiative, where he negotiated airtime commitments to fight AIDS. Upon his retirement from

in 2011, Roedy was appointed by former President of Ireland

Mary Robinson Mary Therese Winifred Robinson (; ; born 21 May 1944) is an Irish politician who served as the president of Ireland from December 1990 to September 1997. She was the country's first female president. Robinson had previously served as a senato ...

as ambassador, then soon after rose to as ambassador and vice chair for the Global Alliance for Vaccination and Immunization (GAVI), a public-private organization with an extensive record of administering hundreds of millions of vaccinations across the globe. He later rose to vice chair and chair of governance. Roedy also served as the Chair of the Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR) and served as founding member and chair of the Global Business Coalition (GBC) on HIV/AIDS from 1999 to 2002.

Political career

In June 2023, Roedy announced his candidacy for the position of Mayor of Miami Beach, Florida as a candidate of the Independent Party of Florida.

Board and organization membership

Roedy has chaired the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS and the Foundation for AIDS Research ( amfAR), founded and chaired the Leadership Committee for the Global Media AIDS Initiative, served as founding member and chair of the Global Business Coalition (GBC), and vice chaired for the Global Alliance for Vaccination and Immunization (

GAVI GAVI, officially Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance (previously the GAVI Alliance, and before that the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization) is a Public–private partnership, public–private global health partnership with the goal of incr ...

). Roedy also works with the Global Health Corps and the Seed Global Health to improve healthcare in

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

. In addition, he has supported

Goldie Hawn Goldie Jeanne Hawn (born November 21, 1945) is an American actress, producer, dancer, and singer. She achieved stardom and acclaim for playing lighthearted comedic roles in film and television. In a career spanning six decades, she has received ...

with her MindUp initiative, targeting children in primary schools. Roedy has held business advisor and board roles at

Lionsgate Lions Gate, Lion Gate or similar terms may refer to: Gates *Lion Gate at Mycenae in Greece *Lion Gate, one of the entrances to the ancient Hittite city of Hattusa, now in Turkey *Lion Gate, one of the entrances to the gardens of Hampton Court Pala ...

, Zumba Fitness, Moshi Monsters, Fitsmi, and private equity firm

TowerBrook Capital Partners TowerBrook Capital Partners, L.P. is an investment management firm headquartered in London and New York City. TowerBrook spun out of Soros Fund Management in 2005 and became known for acquiring majority stakes in companies such as Jimmy Choo. Man ...

. Roedy has served on the boards of Westminster College and

The American School in London ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...

(ASL). He has also held advisory board positions with

Baruch College Baruch College (officially the Bernard M. Baruch College) is a public college in New York City, United States. It is a constituent college of the City University of New York system. Named for financier and statesman Bernard M. Baruch, the colle ...

and the

Berlin School of Creative Leadership Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

delivering the commencement addresses in 1994 and 2010. Since 2015, Roedy has been a member of the

Council on Foreign Relations The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an American think tank focused on Foreign policy of the United States, U.S. foreign policy and international relations. Founded in 1921, it is an independent and nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit organi ...

and served as an adviser to the State Department's

Foreign Affairs Policy Board The Foreign Affairs Policy Board is an advisory board that provides independent advice and opinion to the secretary of state, the deputy secretary of state, and the director of policy planning on matters concerning U.S. foreign policy. The board ...

from 2018 to 2020.

Personal life

Roedy is married to Alexandra Roedy and together they have four children. They reside in

Miami Beach Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Miami metropolitan area of South Florida. The municipality is located on natural and human-made barrier islands between the Atlantic Ocean an ...

Awards and recognition

Roedy has been recognized with several awards throughout his career. In 2002, he received the Award for Business Excellence from U.S. President

. He was named the Nesuhi Ertegun Person of the Year in 2003 and received the International Emmy Founder's Award in 2004. In 2005, he received YouthAIDS Family Health International and Kaiser Family Foundation Award for his efforts to raise awareness for HIV/AIDS. In 2006, Roedy received New York AIDS Film Festival Award. A year later, he was given the AmFAR Award of Courage In 2008, Roedy received the Joel A. Berger Award and the Doctors of the World Leadership Award. He was named UNCA Global Citizen of the Year in 2009 and received the ICRW Innovation Award in 2010. In 2011, Roedy was Inducted into Cable Pioneers. In the same year, he was also awarded the Cinema for Peace Award for his work with the Staying Alive Campaign and received an

honorary degree An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or '' ad hon ...

from Westminster College, where he delivered the John Findley Green Foundation Lecture. A year later, he was recognized with the Chello Humanitarian Award. Later, he was inducted into the Cable Hall of Fame in 2015. Roedy was named a Churchill Fellow in 2017 for his contributions to the National Churchill Museum at Westminster College. In 2019, he received the Playing for Change Legend Award alongside

Pharrell Williams Pharrell Lanscilo Williams (; born April 5, 1973), also known mononymously as Pharrell, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer, and fashion designer. He first became known as one half of the music production duo ...

for his impact on the

music industry The music industry are individuals and organizations that earn money by Songwriter, writing songs and musical compositions, creating and selling Sound recording and reproduction, recorded music and sheet music, presenting live music, concerts, ...

. In 2020, Roedy received the West Point Distinguished Graduate Award. In October 2023, Roedy and his wife Alexandra were honored by the Gift of Life Marrow Registry at their annual Gala for their contributions to the organization. In June 2024, the American Churchill Museum honored Roedy with the Winston Churchill Leadership Medal Award in London.

Bibliography

* Roedy, Bill (2011). ''What Makes Business Rock: Building the World's Largest Global Networks''

Filmography

* 2013: ''Battle of amfAR''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Roedy, Bill Living people 1948 births 21st-century American writers American people of Irish descent American emigrants to the United Kingdom MTV people United States Military Academy alumni Harvard Business School alumni