Nely Galán

Who is Nely Galán?

Nely Galán is an independent producer and a former President of Entertainment for Telemundo. She created and executively produced the FOX reality series The Swan.

Nely Galán was born Arnely Alvarez in Santa Clara, Cuba. Her parents moved to Teaneck, New Jersey in 1965 when she was two years old. During high school Galán submitted an article to Seventeen magazine which was so impressive she was asked to be a guest editor and led to a permanent position. At the age of 22, Galan embarked on her career in entertainment as the nation's youngest station manager for WNJU TV Channel 47 in New York. Owned by Jerry Perenchio and Norman Lear, the station became the launchpad for what is now the Telemundo Network.

In 1992, Galán formed Tropix, a joint venture with HBO originating Latino content for cable. Under the Tropix umbrella, Galán also served as a consultant to HBO and Time Warner on its Latin strategy in the U.S. and Latin America. In this two-year venture, Galán created multiple shows and helped launch HBO Ole, their channel in Latin America.

Galán entered into a deal with Fox Corporation and Rupert Murdoch in 1994, creating content for the Fox network and helping Fox launch numerous channels into Latin America including: Canal Fox, Fox Kids, Fox Sports, and Sky. That year, The New York Times magazine put Galán on its cover and coined her the "Tropical Tycoon." Also in 1994, Galán founded Galan Entertainment, a production and marketing firm which focuses on creating "crossover" Latino programming. Her newly formed company branched out launching networks for ESPN, MGM and Sony as well. In addition, Galán created an award-winning marketing division for American companies targeting Latinos in the U.S. and Latin America. While at Fox, she also produced "The Alma Awards" which honor outstanding Latino talent, and pioneered the first telenovela produced simultaneously in English and Spanish for Fox and Mexico's television network, Televisa.