Senior Director of Operations for NBC’s “TODAY” Pursues Online MBA to Formalize Business Expertise

The “TODAY” show has long been a mainstay in American homes as people get ready to start their day. Long before she worked for NBC, Elizabeth Laskie-Gonzalez watched it every morning before school to make sure she was informed about current events. Now, she is watching from a whole different point of view, as she is the senior director for TODAY Operations, NBC News. Overseeing the entire TODAY brand from broadcast to streaming to event teams and more, she starts her day at 5 a.m. and thrives on the adrenaline rush that comes from working for a 24/7 operation where news can break at any time. 

But despite her busy schedule, Laskie-Gonzalez is also pursuing an online MBA at Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Management. “There’s a great focus on the business of media, and you have to be a master of everything these days, so my hands are in a lot of buckets,” she explains. “It’s essential to have a foundation in business. I’ve learned a lot on the job, but I felt like I needed to formalize that as I grow with NBCUniversal.” 

Laskie-Gonzalez is a graduate of Niagara University and has been working at NBC News for 22 years, starting at the “TODAY” show, then moving on to work as a program manager at “Dateline” and operations director at TODAY before taking on her current position. 

Originally from Skaneateles, New York, Laskie-Gonzalez was familiar with Syracuse University, and the Whitman online MBA program gave her the flexibility she did not find elsewhere. She admits going back to school was a challenge at first, particularly establishing study habits she hadn’t used since her undergraduate days. But she has adapted, completing her course work primarily on evenings and weekends. 

“I’m a much better student today than I was as an undergrad,” she admits. “But there was a learning curve and adjustment. I really like the asynchronous learning of the online MBA program because I can go back and read and watch the recordings again if necessary. At this point in my life I’m not in it just to get a degree. I really want to learn and retain the things being taught to me.” 

Currently, she is taking one course at a time and has completed nine credits, as well as attended a residency program on campus on the Business of Sports. To earn Whitman’s online MBA, students must complete 54 credits and attend three residency programs on various business topics, some held on campus and others in various locations in the U.S. and even abroad. 

“I’m trying to be strategic in choosing my residencies,” she says of her weekend spent at Whitman. “It’s nice to have a face-to-face connection with the people and the campus for a few days because you form real connections with professors and others in the program that you mostly see only online.” 

Already she has put some of the information learned in the online MBA program to work, particularly after taking the course Data Analysis and Decision Making. “When I started in broadcast, it used to be much more of ‘Let’s go get that story,’ but now I see a lot of use of analytics in the digital space to more clearly understand if a particular topic appeals to a specific target audience,” she explains. 

Interacting with other students in her classes, the majority of whom are working professionals from various fields, has also been very beneficial. 

“News moves so fast, and we have to find different ways to be efficient, keep up with the trends and utilize different ways of problem solving,” she explains. “It’s great to learn new perspectives on how other MBA students have handled similar issues in their own professions. If you stay in your own bubble, you don’t learn different ways to do things.”  

Laskie-Gonzalez has been very pleased with her experience since she began in Spring 2024 and is grateful for the help of her academic advisor, as well as the “responsive professors who care about your success.” And, while she is not yet sure when she will complete her degree, she is certain that earning her online MBA from the Whitman School will only enhance her ability to do the job she loves. 

“The ‘TODAY’ show is a special place to work and has a great culture,” she says. “It’s iconic—and where else can you see Vladimir Putin and Elmo from ‘Sesame Street’ on the same show? Most platforms don’t have that, but here it’s completely normal, and I’m happy to be able to use my new found business skills to continue making that happen.” 

By Caroline K. Reff