10 DEC 2020

RAFFAELE ANNECCHINO IS THE NEW PRESIDENT AND CEO OF VCNI

ViacomCBS announced that Raffaele Annecchino has been appointed as President and CEO of ViacomCBS Networks International (VCNI), effective immediately. He succeeds David Lynn.

10 DEC 2020
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Raffaele Annecchino

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ViacomCBS announced that Raffaele Annecchino has been appointed as President and CEO of ViacomCBS Networks International (VCNI), effective immediately. He succeeds David Lynn, who is stepping down and will depart the company following a transition period.

In his new role, Annecchino will oversee all of ViacomCBS’s media networks and related businesses outside the United States. As part of this, he will be responsible for a portfolio of pay TV entertainment brands and broadcast networks across six continents – including Channel 5 in the UK, Telefe in Argentina, Network 10 in Australia and Colors in India through a joint venture with Viacom18 – and work closely with ViacomCBS’s global streaming organization to help guide the continued international rollout of Pluto TV and the launch of Paramount+ in 2021. He will report to Bob Bakish, President and CEO of ViacomCBS.

“Raffaele is an entrepreneurial, results-oriented leader with a proven ability to transform businesses and drive growth across diverse markets. In recent years, Raffaele has taken on increased responsibility, demonstrating strategic and operational expertise that extends across a wide variety of geographies and platforms. His experience in expanding ViacomCBS’s international footprint, forging key partnerships and accelerating our push into mobile and digital platforms will be critical to building on our leadership positions across Europe, Latin America and Asia, and realizing our global ambitions,”  Bakish said.

“I want to extend my deepest thanks to David for his many contributions over the past two decades, from integrating the international portfolios of CBS and Viacom to overseeing the launch of Viacom International Studios, including the acquisition of Ananey and repositioning the division to enable the continued expansion of our global streaming offerings. I’m grateful for his dedication and leadership, and wish him the best as he starts this next chapter,”  he added.

Meanwhile, Annecchino commented: “It’s an honor to step into this role and help continue ViacomCBS’s strong momentum around the world. We have an exciting opportunity to broaden the company’s reach through new, innovative distribution channels and partnerships, and I look forward to working with Bob and the rest of the team to execute against our growth initiatives”.

Over the course of his 23-year tenure, Annecchino has held a number of positions across ViacomCBS Networks International, formerly Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN). Most recently, he served as President of ViacomCBS Networks Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia (EMEAA), during which time he oversaw operations across a range of markets and led and coordinated VCNI’s mobile strategy globally.

“It’s been an honor and a privilege to spend the greatest part of my career at ViacomCBS. From my early days at Comedy Central and Nickelodeon to more recently managing teams across our global portfolio, I’ve benefitted from working with the most dynamic, talented team in the industry – who in this most challenging year succeeded in transforming the business for the next important phase of growth,”  Lynn commented.

We have an exciting opportunity to broaden the company’s reach through new, innovative distribution channels and partnerships” Raffaele Annecchino President and CEO of ViacomCBS Networks International