Throughout his life KC Sullivan has always balanced ambition with humility — a trait rooted in his upbringing here and shaped by years of navigating the complex media landscape.
Today, as the president of CNBC, KC leads one of the world’s most influential business news networks. But long before boardrooms and global strategy meetings, he was a Glastonbury kid with cleats on his feet and a deep respect for hard work etched into his character.
As a boy he attended Naubuc and Buttonball Lane elementary schools, Gideon Welles Middle School, and graduated from Glastonbury High School in 1996.
“I spent my whole childhood in Glastonbury,” he recalls. “I had a wonderful high school experience.”
He fondly recalls his time as class treasurer and playing football, baseball, and running indoor track. Youth sports were a constant throughout his early years—from Hartwell Soccer to the Glastonbury Basketball Association and even a little league baseball team that made a strong run in the state tournament in 1991.
And at the core of his life, he says, was his family here in Glastonbury, his parents, Kevin and Betty Sullivan and his sisters, Mary Ellen and Kelly. Though his family has since moved from town, his dad still co-owns the Farley Sullivan Funeral Home in town with KC’s uncle,Tom Sullivan.
A Hartford firefighter and local funeral director, his dad’s approach to life and work became a personal blueprint for KC on how to lead — with compassion, integrity, and an unshakeable work ethic.
“He’s the biggest influence on my career path and leadership style,” KC says. “Work hard and let your work speak for you. Treat people fairly and with compassion — especially in their times of need.”
While he once envisioned a future in politics or sports, his professional journey took a sharp and fascinating turn toward business journalism. After joining General Electric early in his career, he was drawn to the Enron scandal and the broader questions it raised about corporate responsibility and transparency.
The book The Smartest Guys in the Room captivated him, igniting a passion that would eventually lead him to CNBC.
“I was fascinated by the story – how it happened, why, and the implications. The Smartest Guys in the Room … was then turned into a documentary – I still think it is one of the best business documentaries I have seen and that sparked my interest in business journalism.”
His first major leap came in 2013 when he transitioned from CFO of CNBC to President of CNBC International, based in London.
“I was always curious about the various parts of the business, beyond my day to day as CFO, and regularly spent time with clients and our sales people as well as producers in the control room, just learning the ‘how’ behind it all. That curiosity put me in a position to move from finance to an operating leadership role where I had journalists, technical operators, and sales people all over the world reporting to me.”
Now based in New Jersey with his wife Tara and two young daughters, KC oversees CNBC from its global headquarters in Englewood Cliffs. Despite the high-pressure demands of the media world, he stays grounded through family.
“Time with my wife and daughters keeps me centered and reminds me what’s truly important.”
His leadership has been shaped by more than two decades in an evolving industry. His time at NBCUniversal taught him to embrace constant change and disruption — a necessity in today’s fast-moving media environment. He credits former CNBC chairman Mark Hoffman with teaching him to balance journalistic integrity with business acumen.
Under KC’s leadership, CNBC is adapting to the realities of a fragmented media landscape focusing on diversifying revenue opportunities and providing essential content to their audience across all platforms how and when they want it. The company recently announced a new streaming product, CNBC+, launched three strategic verticals and continues to grow its councils and events business.
When asked what leadership has taught him, KC offers a simple but powerful insight:
“Listen first. Try to learn from folks with different perspectives.”
And if he could offer advice to his younger self?
“Say yes to opportunities and don’t overthink your next step.”
“Work hard and let your work speak for you. Treat people fairly and with compassion. KC Sullivan
“I was always curious about the various parts of the business, beyond my day-to-day... and regularly spent time with clients and our sales people as well as producers in the control room. KC Sullivan