Maryanne Culpepper exiting from National Geographic Television

July 26, 2012 by Barry Walsh

maryanne-culpepper

UPDATED 4:53PM EST/JULY 26, 2012

National Geographic Television (NGT) president Maryanne Culpepper is leaving the company.

The news, first reported by Deadline, was initially confirmed to realscreen by a spokesperson from the National Geographic Society, who said Culpepper will remain with Nat Geo until December.

Culpepper – who had founded her own prodco, Graffiti Works, prior to arriving at NGT – intends on returning to independent production, telling realscreen that while “National Geographic has got to be the most inspirational, game-changing place I’ve ever worked,” she has already been offered some projects and is “cooking a few of my own.”

“I’ve loved being able to lead this team of some of the world’s most talented, creative people – and now I want to go play with them, not just supervise them,” she added.

It isn’t yet clear if there will be a replacement named to her position, or when.

Culpepper was upped to the role of president for the Nat Geo production arm in April of last year, following the departure of Michael Rosenfeld. Prior to that role, she had been executive vice president of editorial and new business development at NGT.

She first joined the company in 1996 as director of story development.

Tags: Maryanne Culpepper, National Geographic Television