Discovery Communications has consolidated various geographies under one core leadership team with Kasia Kieli heading its EMEA operations as President & Managing Director with immediate effect.
Discovery Communications has restructured a major part of its EMEA business and consolidated various geographies under one core leadership team with Kasia Kieli heading its EMEA operations as President & Managing Director with immediate effect.
Marinella Soldi, who helped transform Discovery Italy from an exclusively pay TV business to a multi-platform media player, will now take on an expanded role as Chief Strategy Officer EMEA & Managing Director Southern Europe, reporting to Kasia Kieli. James Gibbons, who previously looked after the UK and Ireland, will now also serve as General Manager for Australia and New Zealand and take on the additional responsibility of developing existing and new commercial relationships and business development opportunities across EMEA.
Discovery has made substantial investments across EMEA in recent years, from its acquisition of Eurosport and premium sporting rights, including the Olympic Games from 2018-2024, to new direct to-consumer digital products such as Dplay, which features popular entertainment and sports programmes in Italy, Norway, Sweden and Denmark; and through its partnership with ProSiebenSat1 in Germany on a streaming service featuring the best content from both companies. Discovery also has made significant progress in the growth of its sports streaming service across Europe, the Eurosport Player.
In her new role, Kieli will be expected to accelerate DiscoveryÂ’s consumer and product-focused operating model across its biggest revenue region. By consolidating business units that were previously split into the UK, Nordics, Southern Europe and CEEMEA, Discovery hopes that its leadership team can be focused on optimising the core business while driving new areas of growth.
“Kasia has demonstrated great vision and determination with unmatched expertise in managing what is probably one of the most complex and diverse regions in the world,” commented Jean-Briac Perrette, CEO & President, Discovery Networks International.
“EMEA represents our largest region in terms of revenue as well as the focus of considerable investment in the past and big ambition for the future. I have no doubt that under Kasia’s strong and effective leadership, we will see our combined EMEA organization continue to grow to new heights and in unimaginable ways
Soldi will continue to leverage her track record of running free-to-air, pay TV and digital services with the local management teams in Italy, Spain, France and Portugal. In addition, she will create and lead a new Consumer Insights & Product Development function and the Content organisation for EMEA and Discovery Networks International.
James Gibbons will build on the success of the existing UK team and identify new growth opportunities for this key market. He succeeds Susanna Dinnage, who was promoted to the newly created position of Global President, Animal Planet, earlier this month.
