The reorganisation will simplify ViacomCBS Networks International into two brand groups, and three pan-regional management hubs reporting to David Lynn, president and CEO of ViacomCBS Networks International.

VCNI brand leadership:

Kerry Taylor, currently the executive vice president of MTV International and chief marketing officer for VCNI United Kingdom, has been promoted to executive vice president of VCNI Entertainment and Youth Brands. She will be reporting to David Lynn as well as Chris McCarthy, president of entertainment and Youth Brands, ViacomCBS Domestic Media Networks.

Taylor's new remit will include the international oversight of MTV, Comedy Central, Paramount Network and BET. Taylor has been with MTV International since 2007 and has been co-head of MTV International since 2012.

She is credited with reinventing the MTV international brand positioning, developing a successful global franchise strategy and commissioning content that drove international ratings success such as Geordie Shore, The Charlotte Show, Ex on The Beach and Just Tattoo of Us.

Taylor will continue to work closely with Bruce Gillmer, executive vice president of music and talent programming/events ViacomCBS. Jill Offman, who previously led Comedy Central and Paramount network internationally, will be dedicated to the international studio business as executive vice president of ViacomCBS International Studios United Kingdom.

Jules Borkent has been promoted to executive vice president of VCNI Kids and Family, reporting to David Lynn and Brian Robbins, presidents of Kids and Family Entertainment, ViacomCBS Domestic Media Networks.

Borkent has been with Nickelodeon since 2001, having led channel operations and content strategy including programming, acquisitions, originals and digital for Nickelodeon International, which has delivered continued growth during his tenure.

Working in close alignment with Nickelodeon United States, Borkent established the international programming council and manages a multi-million-dollar content investment across Kids and Family programming.

"Kerry and Jules are exceptional creative and strategic professionals," says Lynn. "Kerry brings equal parts marketing acumen and a genuine connection to the global youth zeitgeist, which has driven MTV's successful international franchise strategy and ratings success. Jules is a respected industry voice, who's dedicated to bringing unique and diverse content to Nickelodeon audiences around the world."

"Consolidating our international flagship brands into two groups will simplify our structure and more closely align our business with ViacomCBS' Unites States brands, enabling us to share more content and resources across our different brands and extract maximum value from our content investment and libraries," adds Lynn.

VCNI pan-regional leadership:

Maria Kyriacou, who most recently was president of international for ITV Studios, will now join the newly expanded division on Monday, 3 February with a new brief as president: ViacomCBS Networks United States and Australia. Her role includes responsibility for Ireland, New Zealand and Israel.

Kyriacou will seek content and commercial synergies between the company's portfolio of networks and streaming services across these English-language markets. This will include oversight of ViacomCBS's operations in its two most valuable international markets and its free-to-air broadcast networks, Channel 5 and Network 10. 

Paul Anderson, who is CEO of Network 10, additionally has become EVP of ViacomCBS Networks Australia and New Zealand with immediate effect, reporting to Kyriacou.

Furthermore, Raffaele Annecchino, current president of the division's operations across Southern and Western Europe, the Middle East and Africa, will take on an expanded role in the new structure. Annecchino will have additional responsibility for the company's operations in Northern and Eastern Europe and key Asian markets.

As president, ViacomCBS Networks Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia (EMEAA), Annecchino will aim to deliver additional growth in European markets through the closer alignment of its operations across the continent as part of an EMEA structure.

With a track record of driving market-beating growth from both on-screen and off-screen activities in the markets, for which he currently has responsibility, Annecchino will focus on developing scale in the company's operations in EMEAA in addition to continuing to be responsible for VCNI's mobile strategy.

JC Acosta will be the third of the division's senior pan-regional leaders, having recently been promoted to president, ViacomCBS Networks Americas. In this role, Acosta will be responsible for the company's operations across Latin America, including the key markets of Argentina, Brazil and Mexico, as well as in Canada and the Unites States Hispanic market.

He will be tasked with the ongoing expansion of ViacomCBS's portfolio of networks, streaming services and associated businesses across the region, including:
  • its fast-growing studios business in the Americas,
  • Argentinian free-to-air broadcast market leader Telefe, and
  • digital services including Porta Dos Fundos.
Both Borkent and Acosta succeeded Pierluigi Gazzolo who, prior to his recently announced promotion to president of studios and OTT for ViacomCBS Networks International, was president of VCNI Americas and executive vice president of Nickelodeon International.

Gazzolo, who also reports to Lynn, assumed his new dedicated role on the first of this year and is an integral member of the VCNI leadership team focused on two key growth areas.

"ViacomCBS is truly a global leader in terms of the quality, volume and range of content we produce and own, and we aim to exploit the incredible pipelines at our disposal to deliver exceptional growth across international markets — not just for ourselves but for our partners as well," says Lynn.

"With Maria joining and with newly expanded roles for Raffaele, JC, Pier, Kerry and Jules, we have an exceptional leadership team in place and a simplified structure. [It] allows us to be more tightly focused on seeking out the most attractive opportunities to license our brands, content and IP, with a particular focus on accelerating our streaming strategy," adds Lynn.

As a result of these regional changes, Mark Whitehead, president and managing director of VCNI Asia Pacific, will be leaving the company at the end of January 2020. "I am extremely grateful for Whitehead's many contributions to our ongoing success," says Lynn. 

"He has played the leading role in transforming our operations across Asia to the point where they have just delivered their highest ever rate of annual growth. Whitehead leaves us excellently positioned in key markets across the region to continue on an exceptional growth trajectory," concludes Lynn. 

For more information, visit www.viacbs.com. You can also follow ViacomCBS on Facebook, Twitter or on Instagram.