Masami Yamamoto Exits As President, BA & Operations For Universal Studio Group After 23 Years At NBCU

My dearest BA Team –

As I shared the news with you in person earlier today, after over 23 years with NBCUniversal, I am leaving at the end of the year to take a gap year in 2024!

NBCUniversal has been my home for much of my adult life – it is where I grew up, it is where I learned everything I know about the business, it is where I spent most of my waking hours, it is where I was surrounded by passionate colleagues who inspired me, who made me laugh, and who helped me become a better negotiator and a person. I could list all my so-called “accomplishments” – but I won’t because I cannot take credit for any one thing. And that’s because I know that I only came this far because of you and your hard work and the hard work of those who preceded you, and with the guidance of some of the best leaders in our business, and the incredible partnership with the other functions of our company – creative, finance, production, legal, marketing, communications, and distribution.

So why leave this special place? It’s not because “it’s time” – it’s because it’s the right time. I have been doing some soul searching during the last couple of years about what my end game in life is. Where am I going? What do I really want to be doing? What is my ikigai? And I began to realize that, with the only way I know how to work, it is just not possible for me to figure out the answer to these questions while I am living the current version of my life. So, I began to look at where I am.

A little over three years ago, I was given the monumental task of uniting BA functions across USG. We went through many changes, but disruptions offered opportunities and the ability to evolve our business. We worked to put together standardized deal-making across the studios (and even across the pond and the Pacific Ocean). We built our own team agreements, instilled best practices, and are currently leveraging the scope and momentum of USG to make the best deals possible – as one team. We have built a strong foundation on which you will continue to thrive. We did this together. There’s no group like ours in the industry – please be as proud of these accomplishments as I am of you. We hit a milestone, and it is with the confidence that I am leaving our group in a much stronger and cohesive position that I know now is the right time.

Over the next year, I will be doing what I’ve wanted to do for a long time – lots of traveling where I can actually immerse myself in the experience, allow my life to be enriched and not just using travel as a means to escape. I want to take dance classes, live in Paris and learn French, cook more (it is a little scary when the UberEats driver recognizes you), declutter, start a journal, reconnect with old friends, and spend more time with my family in Japan. And through all the trips and everything in between, I hope to find some of the answers I’ve been searching for – maybe even in a foreign language.

I am incredibly grateful for the time I spent at this company and will miss the phenomenal group of people I’ve had the honor of working alongside – some for over 20 years – some for a few years or even months – it is a very special group of people.

And to Pearlena, who gave me all the opportunities and support over the years and is allowing me to embark on this journey – I thank her from the bottom of my heart.

I will be cheering you on from various spheres of the universe – I will miss you all! Please keep in touch.

And lastly –

THANK YOU.