Discovery Communications has announced a number of senior executive appointments and new roles as part of its rapidly transforming international digital media business.
All three will report directly to Michael Lang, president, international development & digital.
Francis Keeling, a leading digital music executive, is joining Discovery as senior VP, International Digital. Jay Trinidad, currently running Discovery Northern Asia, takes on the additional role of MD, digital ventures, and Eugene Huang is appointed to the role of senior VP, product and technology. All three roles report directly to Michael Lang, president, international development & digital.
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. Based in London, he will also help develop and launch new digital products tailored to meet the demands of Discovery’s viewers across numerous content genres.
Keeling was most recently the global head of licensing at Spotify where he defined and implemented a new licensing strategy. Prior to that, he spent ten years at Universal Music Group, where, as the global head of digital, he managed the transition from physical music sales to new digital formats including digital downloads, streaming and subscriptions.
Lang said: “Francis is an outstanding digital executive who helped transform the music industry when its business model was disrupted by technological change. He also comes to us from Spotify, a company we respect tremendously, with a proven track record of serving digital consumer needs. We’re all excited that Francis is bringing these experiences and strong digital and consumer insights to Discovery.”
Meanwhile, as MD 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. He spent a decade at Google as one of their early hires, working across advertising, search, strategy, operations and products including Chrome, rising to head of consumer marketing for Asia Pacific. Trinidad will report into Lang for his new digital role, while continuing to report to Arthur Bastings, president & MD, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific with respect to his on-going Northern Asia responsibilities.
Huang, on the other hand, will develop Discovery’s international products and services across multiple platforms. He comes to Discovery most recently from American Express, where he was VP strategy and planning. Prior to that he held a several senior government roles. Along with Keeling, he will be based in London.
Commenting on Huang’s appointment, Lang said: “Eugene brings exceptional tech leadership to our business which will be incredibly valuable as we develop some significant OTT initiatives across Europe.
“In partnership with the digital, creative and local leaders across our global organisation, 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.”