BBC STUDIOS RESTRUCTURES ITS TEAM IN ASIA

BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the British Broadcasting Corporation, has appointed Phil Hardman as SVP and General Manager for Asia, with a remit across the global distribution teams working in Singapore, Mumbai and Seoul. He will also be responsible for developing the growth strategy across the region, with a focus on India, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, and Vietnam.

The revamp means there are now three regional chiefs: Hardman as SVP & GM Asia; Ding Ke as SVP & GM Greater China; and Fiona Lang as GM Australia & New Zealand. A new strategy manager for Asia will also be appointed to support the region. Meanwhile, Ryan Shiotani will move from his current role as SVP & GM of South and South East Asia to become SVP of content, Asia & Greater China. He will be the regional editorial lead across existing and new branded services, as well as advising on brand and content strategy in Asia and Greater China.

The move is a streamlining of operations under Jon Penn, EVP for the APAC region. “Hardman is a strategic thinker and leader who will help turbo-charge our growth in the region. Along with Fiona Lang and Ding Ke, I have three formidable commercial leaders in APAC who will help us identify and build on the opportunities in this rapidly evolving market,”  Penn said in a statement. “The key to our success lies in our premium offering and I am pleased that Ryan Shiotani, who is a consummate content expert, will be our editorial lead, working across our services and brands in Asia and Greater China,”  he added.