Discovery expands international digital team

Discovery Communications has announced a series of senior executive hires and new roles as part of its expanding international digital media business.

Francis Keeling, a digital music executive is joining Discovery as Senior Vice President, International Digital. Jay Trinidad, currently running Discovery Northern Asia, takes on the additional role of Managing Director, Digital Ventures, and Eugene Huang, has been appointed to the role of Senior Vice President, Product and Technology. All three roles report to Michael Lang, President, International Development and Digital.

In his role as SVP, International Digital, Francis Keeling will be charged with creating new partnerships and business opportunities for Discovery to bring its content to consumers across every screen and service. This includes an active role in Discovery’s OTT initiatives, including the recently announced digital video joint venture in Germany with ProSieben.  He will be based in London.

Keeling was most recently the Global Head of Licensing at Spotify where he reportedly defined and implemented a new licensing strategy for the digital music service.

As Managing Director of Discovery’s new Digital Ventures Group based in Los Angeles, Trinidad will focus on expanding Discovery’s brands and entertainment business into digital growth areas globally.

In addition, Huang has joined Discovery as the new SVP Product and Technology where he will develop Discovery’s international products and services across multiple platforms

Commenting on the appointments, Mike Lang, President, International Development and Digital said: “This senior team will help drive the digital agenda as we accelerate the pace of investment and transformation for Discovery. Being able to attract world-class digital executives like Francis, Jay and Eugene into our business says a lot about our ambition as well as the opportunity they see for Discovery’s content and brands across the world as digital product offerings.”