AMAZON STUDIOS
Ukonwa Ojo has joined Amazon as chief marketing officer, Prime Video & Amazon Studios, leading global brand and originals marketing. She was chief marketing officer at MAC Cosmetics.
CROWN MEDIA
Hallmark Channel parent Crown Media Family Networks has named Annie Howell chief communications officer. Howell, formerly executive VP, corporate communications, returns after a five-year hiatus.
ENTERTAINMENT STUDIOS
Brooke Kahn was elevated to VP of digital sales and partnerships at Entertainment Studios. She will continue to focus on licensing theatrical titles to SVOD services and will develop AVOD partnerships.
ES NETWORKS
Bruce Gibson was promoted to VP of network distribution at Entertainment Studios Networks. The 10-year distribution, marketing and affiliate-relations veteran of ESN’s The Weather Channel will remain based in Atlanta.
HEARST TELEVISION
Ben Hart was named
VP and general manager of Hearst Television’s ABC affiliate WJCL in Savannah, Georgia. He had been news director at WISN Milwaukee, also a Hearst-owned ABC station.
JIM HENSON CO.
Kait Boss has joined The Jim Henson Co. as manager of children’s television, responsible for developing live-action and animated projects. She was a creative executive and content producer for American Girl.
NBCUNIVERSAL
Pearlena Igbokwe was promoted to chairman of NBCUniversal’s Universal Studio oup, heading the company’s television production business. She had been president, Universal Television.
NEP GROUP
Jeff Hughes has signed on with Pittsburgh-based NEP Group as chief operating officer. He comes from Fox Networks’ Digital Consumer Group, where he had been president and chief operating officer.
NIELSEN
Scott Brown was promoted to general manager, audience measurement, at Nielsen, tasked with driving the unification of linear TV, advanced TV and digital solutions. He was chief technology officer for measurement products.
NETFLIX
Bela Bajaria was promoted to VP of global TV at Netflix, overseeing all English- and local-language original series, scripted and unscripted, series and limited series. Bajariahad been the company’s VP of local language originals.
OPENX
Los Angeles-based ad tech firm OpenX has named Mark Liao as chief financial officer, leading its financial strategy, accounting, business intelligence and revenue performance teams. He comes from Amobee, where he was CFO for more than three years.
TEGNA
Grady Tripp was promoted to VP and chief diversity officer at Tegna, a new post reporting to CEO Dave Lougee. Tripp had been in charge of strategy and execution for the station group’s talent acquisition team.
BRIEFLY NOTED
Other industry execs making moves
Discovery has appointed several executives as part of a restructuring in Europe, the Middle East and Asia: Kasia Kieli, Discovery president and managing director, Europe, will head TVN in Poland; James Gibbons was named general manager, U.K. and Nordics; Susanne Aigner was named GM, Germany and Benelux; Antonio Ruiz was named GM, Iberia and France; and Jamie Cooke was tapped to run Russia, CEEMCA, MEA and pay TV; and Leah Cooper was named senior VP, D2C growth & strategy international. … Ashwini Karandikar has joined the advisory board of Method Media Intelligence. She is the former global president of Dentsu Aegis's Amnet. … Cortlandt Cuffee was elevated to VP and general manager of Sinclair Broadcast Group stations KATU (ABC) and KUNP (Univision) in Portland, Oregon. He had led all sales operations for the stations. … Mainardo de Nardis was named to the board of directors of audio tech firm Voxnest. He is the former CEO of OMD Worldwide, Aegis Media and MEC.
