Raffaele Annecchino has been appointed president and CEO of ViacomCBS Networks International, effective immediately. He succeeds David Lynn, who is stepping down and will depart the company following a transition period.
Annecchino will oversee all of ViacomCBS’s media networks and related businesses outside the U.S. He will be responsible for networks across six continents, including Channel 5 in the U.K., Telefe in Argentina, Network 10 in Australia and Colors in India through a joint venture with Viacom18. He will also work with ViacomCBS’s global streaming organization to help guide the continued international rollout of Pluto TV and the launch of Paramount Plus in 2021. He will report into ViacomCBS boss Bob Bakish.
Annecchino most recently served as president of ViacomCBS Networks Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia, during which time he oversaw the launch and acquisition of free-to-air channels in the key markets of Italy, Spain and Germany, and the creation of a new business unit in September to help drive ViacomCBS’s digital businesses across the region, as well as the expansion of Pluto TV.
Annecchino previously held positions at Turner International, Cartoon Network and CNN.
“Raffaele is an entrepreneurial, results-oriented leader with a proven ability to transform businesses and drive growth across diverse markets,” said Bakish. “In recent years, Raffaele has taken on increased responsibility, demonstrating strategic and operational expertise that extends across a wide variety of geographies and platforms. His experience in expanding ViacomCBS’s international footprint, forging key partnerships and accelerating our push into mobile and digital platforms will be critical to building on our leadership positions across Europe, Latin America and Asia and realizing our global ambitions.”
Bakish added, “I want to extend my deepest thanks to David for his many contributions over the past two decades, from integrating the international portfolios of CBS and Viacom to overseeing the launch of Viacom International Studios, including the acquisition of Ananey and repositioning the division to enable the continued expansion of our global streaming offerings. I’m grateful for his dedication and leadership and wish him the best as he starts this next chapter.”
“It’s an honor to step into this role and help continue ViacomCBS’s strong momentum around the world,” said Annecchino. “We have an exciting opportunity to broaden the company’s reach through new, innovative distribution channels and partnerships, and I look forward to working with Bob and the rest of the team to execute against our growth initiatives.”
Lynn said: “From my early days at Comedy Central and Nickelodeon to more recently managing teams across our global portfolio, I’ve benefitted from working with the most dynamic, talented team in the industry – who in this most challenging year succeeded in transforming the business for the next important phase of growth.”