Discovery Communications President and CEO David Zaslav will be honoured as the MIPCOM 2017 Personality of the Year.
“David Zaslav is the visionary leader of one of our industry’s most dynamic and innovative companies. He continues to redefine great content and how viewers consume it in a fast-evolving marketplace. We are proud to honour him as MIPCOM 2017’s Personality of the Year,” said Reed MIDEM’s Chief Executive Paul Zilk.
Since joining as CEO in 2007, Zaslav has transformed Discovery into a global leader in real-life entertainment, reaching 3 billion cumulative viewers around the world. Under his leadership, Discovery began trading as a public company in 2008 and became a Fortune 500 company in 2014.
Most recently under Zaslav, Discovery announced an agreement to acquire Scripps Networks Interactive, in a deal which is expected to close in early 2018.
“It’s a tremendous honour to receive the MIPCOM 2017 Personality of the Year award, particularly during such an exciting time for our global business,” added Zaslav.
“I am fortunate to lead a company at the center of our industry’s transformation as we push to innovate our world-class content and brands and nourish superfan audiences across every screen and service around the globe.”
In addition to receiving the MIPCOM Personality of the Year award, Zaslav will give a Media Mastermind keynote address on Wednesday, October 18 at 2.30pm in the Palais des Festivals’ Grand Auditorium.
David Zaslav joins a prestigious list of MIPCOM Personalities of the Year that includes Dana Walden and Gary Newman, Ted Turner, Pierre Lescure, Anne Sweeney, Leslie Moonves, Sumner Redstone, Jeffrey Katzenberg and most recently, Shonda Rhimes.
