The leading global media and entertainment company ViacomCBS announced on Thursday that they will unify the company’s US and international businesses under a simplified global leadership structure.
Effective immediately, Chris McCarthy and Brian Robbins are each promoted to the role of President & CEO, with global oversight for their respective brand groups, MTV Entertainment Group and Nickelodeon.
In addition, George Cheeks, President, and CEO, CBS, will expand his role to include the responsibility for a global content strategy across ViacomCBS’ FTA networks around the world.
McCarthy, Robbins, and Cheeks will continue to report to Bob Bakish, President & CEO, ViacomCBS, and work closely with Raffaele Annecchino, President & CEO of ViacomCBS Networks International (VCNI). International brand leadership will be realigned under this new structure.
In addition, Dan Cohen, President of ViacomCBS Global Distribution Group, will add the distribution of ViacomCBS International Studios content to his group’s mandate, which will now oversee all ViacomCBS content licensing and distribution globally.
Barbara Zaneri also assumes the title of Chief Program Acquisitions Officer for ViacomCBS, which reflects her to expand her role to leading all acquisitions globally across linear, streaming, and pay. Zaneri will continue to report McCarthy and partner closely with the leaders across the ViacomCBS and VCNI.
Bob Bakish, President & CEO, ViacomCBS, said, “These changes enable a truly global approach to the brand management, content acquisitions, and licensing across ViacomCBS’ networks around the world.”
He also added, “With a global reach of 4.1 billion cumulative homes in over 180 countries, our globally aligned leadership structure will ensure that our internationally recognized brands and content are ubiquitous across every platform and every market.”