Journalist & EXECUTIVE producer
RICHARD SERGAY is an award winning veteran network television journalist and senior media executive who spent much of his career at ABC News. He reported on major domestic and international stories for World News, Nightline and Good Morning America and ABC Radio. Richard completed a six-year assignment as Bureau Chief and Correspondent based in South Africa covering the end of White rule and Apartheid, as well as the release of Nelson Mandela from prison and the ensuing peace negotiations. After the South Africa assignment, Richard began a new beat for ABC News – the first for any major network -- focused on the digital revolution unfolding in the U.S.
After leaving ABC News, he joined Discovery Communications as the Chief Curator of “The Curiosity Project,” whose aim was to answer “The Questions of Life” by interviewing 250 leading luminary’s across all disciplines – from art through zoology. Richard then transitioned to work directly for Discovery Founder John Hendricks at his private investment firm architecting the launch of the Curiosity Retreat and a new SVOD web venture called CuriosityStream, the world’s first ad free factual content site devoted to exploring Science, Technology, Civilization and Human Spirit. Also, he served as SVP of Media Strategy and Development for Sharecare, a new health engagement platform founded by Dr. Mehmet Oz and the entrepreneur who created WebMD, Jeff Arnold.
Richard spent much of his 30-year career at ABC News as a journalist, producer, storyteller and senior media executive. Richard covered the globe for ABC News and worked primarily for Peter Jennings at World News Tonight and Ted Koppel at Nightline. His reporting took him around the nation on a range of compelling stories. His Washington journalism included covering the White House, Capitol Hill and the Pentagon. He focused on National Security, Diplomatic, and Foreign Policy reporting, as well as an investigative series focused on government waste of US taxpayer dollars.
During his six years of overseas service, Richard became the Bureau Chief and Correspondent in South Africa reporting on the nationwide State of Emergency, the anti-Apartheid unrest and the end of White minority rule in South Africa. His award winning coverage included reporting on Nelson Mandela’s long walk to freedom after 27 years in prison and the ensuing peace negotiations that finally led to democracy in South Africa during the first multiracial election in that nation’s history in 1994. Richard produced a weeklong series for World News Tonight about South Africa’s first democratic elections. And, he covered Bill Clinton’s trip to South Africa, the first visit by a U.S. President. While in Africa, Richard also covered the wars in Angola, Mozambique, Namibia, and the US military intervention of Somalia.
Upon returning to the United States, Richard began a new beat for ABC News – the first for any of the major networks. As Senior Producer of the Internet and Technology Unit, he spearheaded the coverage of the unfolding digital revolution -- focusing on cutting edge research and development, as well as policy implications of emerging technologies.. Richard produced one of ABC’s most successful network programs for Nightline called “The Deep Dive” – now one of the most requested shows of any produced at ABC News. It focuses on the iconic Palo Alto design firm IDEO and the creativity, innovation, and teamwork necessary to solve complex problems. Major Business and Design schools around the nation, including Stanford, Harvard and MIT, currently show “The Deep Dive,” as does the CIA, to teach teamwork. Richard also conceptualized and produced a unique World News Tonight from Google Headquarters – the first for any network-- as well as an entire Evening News broadcast dedicated to exploring the 30th Anniversary of the Internet. Richard conceptualized, created and served as Executive Producer of a unique daily technology show – “Ahead of The Curve” -- for digital platforms at ABC News, which underscored the Network’s position as a leader in new media coverage. He also enhanced ABC News market position as a source of original technology news by developing innovative and strategic editorial and business relationships with external digital providers such as Google, Wall Street Journal Digital, CNET, Discovery News, Wired and MIT among others.
As the Senior Producer for Special events based in Washington D.C, Richard helped supervise, produce and direct ABC’s coverage of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the US; the 2000/2004/2008 Presidential Elections; as well as the Congressional Impeachment proceedings against President Clinton. Richard managed and led the Network team of producers and software engineers in designing and building the interactive touch screen “Pixel” technology used by ABC News’ anchors on the set during the 2008 Presidential Election Night Coverage. And he served as primary on-site Anchor Producer for Peter Jennings, Charlie Gibson, Diane Sawyer and Bob Woodruff at major national events, Anchor remotes, including interviews with US Presidents.
Richard helped launch a brand new subscription video on demand venture called CuriosityStream. It is the world’s first ad free factual content website dedicated to exploring the world of Technology, Science, Civilization and Human Spirit. Richard conducted more than 200 unique on camera interviews with luminaries across disciplines for this new global online learning initiative funded by the founder of Discovery Communications, John Hendricks at his private investment firm HIH. The interviews included Inventor Dean Kamen, AOL Co-Founder Ted Leonsis, XPrize Founder Dr. Peter Diamandis, Historian David McCullough, Pulitzer winner Sheryl Wu Dunn, Physicist Dr. Michio Kaku. While at HIH, Richard helped conceptualize and executive produce a feature length documentary on the history of the Internet, as well as its future implications. It is slated for air on both CuriosityStream and PBS in 2016.
Richard led the team that created and produced Curiosity Retreats – a TED-like initiative that focused exclusively on a handful of major lectures during a unique weeklong event in Western Colorado. Richard was responsible for conceptualizing the event, recruiting the thought leaders, and moderating the Retreat. Each deep dive retreat involved eight renowned leaders who focused on topics in four thematic areas: Science, Technology, Civilization and Human Spirit. The lectures were as diverse as String Theory, the Internet Revolution, America’s Declaration of Independence, the Rise of China, and the Wright Brothers. Richard recruited such eminent leaders to present such as David McCullough, Sheryl WuDunn, Dr. Michio Kaku, Sylvia Earle, Dr. Vint Cerf, Dr. Deepak Chopra, Dr. Rudy Tanzi, Dr. Brian Greene. Richard was also responsible for selecting, recruiting and managing the Curiosity Advisory Board.
Richard led The Curiosity Project’s online initiative as its Chief Curator. The aim of the multiplatform project was to answer “The Questions of Life.” To that end, Richard constructed a list of 250 leading luminaries across all disciplines – from Art through Zoology. Among those interviewed for the ground breaking project included Sir Richard Branson, Nobel Prize Winner Elie Weisel, Boston Philharmonic Conductor Benjamin Zander, Father of the Internet Dr. Vint Cerf, Jazz icon Wynton Marsalis, Oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle, Martha Stewart, Columbia University Physicist Dr. Brian Greene, world renowned Chef Alice Waters, AOL Founder Steve Case.
Richard joined the health startup in its earliest days and served as SVP of Media Development and Strategy. His mission was to build a “collective wisdom” around critical health and wellness issues important to all Americans. To that end, he constructed a list of some 250 of the top physicians, innovators, technologists, and thinkers involved in the leading edge of healthcare. Among those interviewed on camera for the project included: UCSF Chancellor Susan Desmond-Hellman, Bioethicist Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, Dr. Dean Ornish, Dr. Andrew Weil, NIH Director, Dr. Francis Collins, Dr. Deepak Chopra, Oncologist Dr. David Agus, Dr. Daniel Amen and many others. The Sharecare platform was started in 2010 by Dr. Mehmet Oz and the entrepreneur who created WebMD, Jeff Arnold.
VISIT SHARECARE
Richard graduated with Highest Honors from the University of California with a Bachelor of Arts in Politics, which included Thesis Honors. He undertook postgraduate work in International Relations at Georgetown University. He was awarded a prestigious John S. Knight Fellowship for study at Stanford University.
“Richard Sergay’s creative soul lives in the future – I have never met a person with a better sense of how the future will look. Based upon a strong analytic mind and a truly vast experience in interviewing thousands of the brightest minds, his strategic thinking and planning is always focused on the right place for the right time. Blend that with an intuitive grasp of an accomplished storyteller, he makes extraordinarily complex issues easily understood with clarity and precision – and he makes it come alive in all types of media with empathy and a touch of humor. From the expansive world of television to the closed and hallowed halls of the Board room, I can always trust him to ‘get it right’.”