Cyma Zarghami is an Iranian-American cable television executive currently serving as the president of Nickelodeon and MTV Networks’ Kids & Family Group. Zarghami was born in Abadan, Iran to an Iranian father, Gholam, and a Scottish mother, Catherine. The family later moved to Canada and finally to Englewood, New Jersey, where she graduated in the class of 1980 from the Dwight-Englewood School, and has been a recipient of the school’s Distinguished Alumni Award.
In 1980, Zarghami entered The University of Vermont in Burlington, Vermont as an elementary education major, but later changed her major to English. She ultimately did not complete her degree, but was later awarded an honorary diploma by the University of Vermont College of Education and Social Services in 2000
Zarghami joined Nickelodeon as a scheduling clerk in 1985. She moved up through the programming department and became the channel’s general manager in 1996, overseeing programming, scheduling, acquisitions, marketing and day-to-day management of the network. Zarghami was promoted to general manager and executive vice-president in 1997.
Zarghami was named Women in Cable Telecommunications’ Woman of the Year for 2006.
