Sangeeta Desai has been appointed as interim CEO, OSN, effective immediately.
She has served as a non-executive director on the board for over a year.
Commenting on the appointment, Faisal Al Ayyar, chairman of OSN (Panther Media Group), said: “The board is delighted that Sangeeta has accepted the position of interim CEO, which will increase her involvement with OSN as she works towards the board’s vision for the company as a leading entertainment hub in the region. Sangeeta has a proven track record in successfully leading largescale company transformations, scaling businesses, navigating disruption, and growing global brands. She brings with her a unique combination of strategic, operational, and financial expertise, having led global media businesses for over a decade bolstered by an early career in private equity and investment banking”.
Most recently, Desai was group COO and CEO of Emerging Markets at Fremantle, and prior to that she was COO of Hit Entertainment. She started her career in investment banking at Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan before becoming a private equity investor at Apax Partners.
Desai added: “For over 20 years, OSN has established itself as a household name and market leader in the entertainment sector. As a member of the board, I have been privileged to witness the new heights scaled by OSN in the last 12 months. It is an honour to be selected as interim CEO and I look forward to working with the team, as well as continuing to strengthen OSN’s position as a premier entertainment provider through the implementation of leading technology, innovation and programming”.
Desai succeeds Patrick Tillieux, who is leaving the company for personal reasons.
OSN in one of the leading entertainment hubs in the Middle East. It is the exclusive distributor of Disney+ Originals in the region and has long-term partnerships with several majors including Disney, HBO, NBC Universal, Fox, Paramount, MGM, and Sony.
OSN offers premium and nowhere-else content in Arabic, English, and Filipino and launched OSN On Demand, the region’s first VOD service.
