Altice USA has announced that Michael Olsen has been named General Counsel and Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer effective immediately. In this newly created role, he will lead the company’s Legal team as well as the Government and Regulatory Affairs, Community Affairs, and ESG teams, and continue to report to Chief Executive Officer Dennis Mathew.
Serving as Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Board Secretary since 2019, Mr. Olsen assumes this expanded role following the decision by Executive Vice President, Government & Community Affairs Lee Schroeder to leave the organization in July after more than 25 years. Ms. Schroeder serves as a Senior Advisor to the CEO through July, after which point she will consult on certain government affairs related matters. She will also work with Mr. Olsen to ensure a smooth transition.
“We are incredibly fortunate to have Michael ready to take on this important expanded role as we reaffirm our commitment to our customers, communities, and partners to position Optimum as the connectivity provider of choice across all the markets we serve,” said Dennis Mathew, Altice USA Chief Executive Officer. “Michael has a deep knowledge of our business, demonstrates superior judgement, is a decisive business partner, and leads by example, and I look forward to working with him in this new role.”
Previously, as General Counsel and Board Secretary, Mr. Olsen led Altice USA’s legal affairs, responsible for all legal activities, litigation, transactions, compliance, and corporate governance.
Prior to the acquisition of Cablevision by Altice, he held the position of Senior Vice President, Legal Regulatory and Legislative Affairs at Cablevision, overseeing the company’s public policy and legislative, regulatory legal strategy at the FCC, Congress, and before state and local government. He joined Cablevision in 2001 as Vice President for Government Affairs. Previously, he was Deputy General Counsel at Northpoint Communications in San Francisco, General Attorney at AT&T, Deputy City Attorney for the City of San Francisco and commercial litigator at Folger, Levin. He is a former clerk to the US District Court in Los Angeles and graduate of Georgetown University (JD) and Loyola Marymount University (BBA).
“Lee has been a steadfast, dependable, and thoughtful leader to her team and the broader company,” added Mr. Mathew. “Lee was integral to the acquisition of Cablevision and helped guide the company as it established itself in the U.S. market. Furthermore, she formulated our community programs and was our first Chief Diversity Officer, creating long-lasting relationships to advance our reputation in the communities we serve. We thank her for her leadership over the years and commitment to ensuring a smooth transition with Michael.”