Susan Davenport Austin
Senior Vice President and CFOSheridan Broadcasting Corp.
Susan Davenport Austin currently serves as a director and as senior vice president and chief financial officer of Sheridan Broadcasting Corporation and president of the Sheridan Gospel Network (SGN).
Sheridan Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) is a privately held corporation that was formed by the Davenport family in 1972. SBC owns and operates three radio stations in Pittsburgh, Pa., and stations in Atlanta, Ga., Buffalo, N.Y., and Birmingham, Ala., as well as Sheridan Production Services, a production services company. SGN, a division of SBC, is a 24-hour gospel music network that has approximately 50 affiliates. In addition, SBC is the majority owner and manager of American Urban Radio Networks, the only African-American owned national radio network with more than 300 affiliates across the country.
Susan joined SBC in 2002 as vice president of Strategic Planning and Treasurer. She added the title of president of SGN in 2004 and was promoted to her current position in 2007.
Prior to joining SBC, Susan spent 10 years in investment banking, specializing in telecommunications and media finance. Most recently, she was a vice president in the Communications, Media and Entertainment group at Goldman, Sachs & Co. Previously she worked for Bear, Stearns & Co. and Salomon Brothers Inc.
Susan received an A.B. in mathematics from Harvard University in 1989 and an M.B.A. from Stanford University Graduate School of Business in 1993. She was honored by Girls Incorporated in 1998 and received the inaugural John W. Gardner Volunteer Service Award from The Stanford Graduate School of Business in 2002. In 2008, she received the International Gospel Industry Service Honor and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund Prestige Award. Radio Ink Magazine has named her one of the Most Influential African Americans in Radio and one of the Most Influential Women in Radio. She has been profiled in Radio Ink, Womensbiz, Ebony and XII magazines.
In addition to SBC, Susan currently serves on the boards of the National Association of Broadcasters (co-chair, Audit Committee; co-chair, Technology Advocacy Committee), Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) (Finance and Budget Committee, Performing Rights Committee), and The MacDowell Colony (Nominations Committee). She has previously served on the boards of The Stanford Business School Alumni Association (president), The Stanford Business School Management Board, The Lower Eastside Girls Club (chair) and Associated Black Charities. Susan is married to Kenneth W. Austin.
