Thao Hoang

Thao Hoang serves as Senior Vice President of Business Development for Defy Media, where she leads content syndication and licensing and corporate development efforts on behalf of Millennial-focused brands such as Smosh, AWEme, Break, Clevver and Screen Junkies. 

Prior to Defy, Thao was Vice President of Content Distribution at Viacom Media Networks, where she negotiated distribution agreements on behalf of Viacom’s cable networks such as MTV, Nickelodeon, BET, Spike and Comedy Central.  Thao also held various strategy positions at Viacom, NBC Universal and Primedia.  She began her career as an investment banker with DLJ and Credit Suisse focusing on Media & Telecom and was an analyst for a Southeast-Asian private equity fund. 

Thao is an accomplished sales and business development professional with deep understanding of the media landscape, consumer and distributor needs, emerging technologies and business models.  She has a demonstrated ability to source and execute strategic partnerships and distribution deals in the digital and traditional media space.  

Thao received her M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and her B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin.  She lives in New York City with her husband and their two daughters.  Thao is a proud member of Red Sox Nation and Betsy Magness Class 29.