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Shannon Fitzgerald  

MTV Executive & Author, "The Accidental Executive: From Runaway to Running the Show"

Canadian-born Shannon Fitzgerald went from runaway to MTV executive. After starting her career in London at the BBC, she later moved to Los Angeles where she built an extensive background in feature films as well as scripted and reality television ("The Simple Life," "Nanny 911," "Big Brother," "Ashlee Simpson Show"). She also discovered the Kardashian family and executive produced the pilot of "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" with Ryan Seacrest Productions.

Currently she is senior vice president of series development, East Coast, at MTV in New York where she creates new series for the network in both the reality and scripted genres, including "Savage U," "It Gets Better," and the upcoming "Washington Heights." She also has a number of feature film projects in development, and a primetime scripted drama with JJ Abrams and Warner Brothers ("Fake an Alibi").

Fitzgerald is currently writing her first book -- "The Accidental Executive: From Runaway to Running the Show. An MTV Executive's Guidebook on Building the Life and Career of Your Dreams" -- a memoir aimed at the millennial generation loosely based on her popular blog The Accidental Executive.

Speech Topics


The Accidental Executive: From Runaway to Running the Show

Millennial Chat for Minority Groups & Colleges

Twenty percent of Millennials are Hispanic, 14 percent African American. Sadly, the dire unemployment rate is even higher for them. Half of Gen Y blacks and a third of Hispanics 18-24 are unemployed. This talk will cover Shannon Fitzgerald's basic tenets for navigating the difficult post-college road ahead as well as the unique roadblocks minorities face as they try to forge careers in the modern-day depression.

Women's Leadership

From the perennial "having it all" debate to the destructive "frenemy" dynamic, this talk is geared toward Millennial girls and the gender-specific dilemmas they face. Additionally, Shannon Fitzgerald will cover her basic tenets for navigating the difficult post-college road ahead, arming them with the actionable tools and advice they'll need to be successful as they begin to enter the workforce.

What the Hell Am I Going to Do When I Graduate? From Teenage Runaway to the Boardroom, an MTV Executive's Guide to the Real, Real World

There are 81,000 Millennials roaming the planet, making them the largest generation in history. One in two college graduates are either jobless or underemployed, while one in eight will have to move back home post-graduation. So how is this incredibly bright, optimistic, but overly coddled and entitled generation going to make those often unrealistic dreams of instant fame and fortune a reality when they can barely get an unpaid internship? They're gonna need some help.

The world they've inherited is a tough and scary place, one that is not likely to turn them into the next Zuckerberg or Kardashian like they think it will. And who said everyone is destined for the spotlight anyway? This talk is tough love with a soft glove. It will cover Shannon Fitzgerald's success roadmap for Generation Y, one that aims to close the gap between what they thought the real world was going to be like and what they'll actually need to do in order to attain the life and career that's perfect for them.

Together we'll tackle the things that plague this generation most, including fear of failure, entitlement, technology overload, why having a great work ethic and paying dues are essential ingredients for success, how to find a career that is in line with their true passions, and how to thrust that into an action plan that will jump start their careers.

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