ViacomCBS Appoints Raffaele Annecchino President and CEO, ViacomCBS Networks International
10.12.2020 17:00:00 EET | Business Wire | Press release
ViacomCBS, Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAC, VIACA) today announced that Raffaele Annecchino has been appointed President and CEO of ViacomCBS Networks International (VCNI), effective immediately. He succeeds David Lynn, who is stepping down and will depart the company following a transition period.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201210005567/en/
ViacomCBS has appointed Raffaele Annecchino President and CEO, ViacomCBS Networks International (VCNI) (Photo: ViacomCBS)
In his new role, Annecchino will oversee all of ViacomCBS’s media networks and related businesses outside the U.S. As part of this, he will be responsible for a portfolio of pay-TV entertainment brands and broadcast networks across six continents – including Channel 5 in the UK, Telefe in Argentina, Network 10 in Australia and Colors in India through a joint venture with Viacom18 – and work closely with ViacomCBS’s global streaming organization to help guide the continued international rollout of Pluto TV and the launch of Paramount+ in 2021. He will report to Bob Bakish, President and CEO, ViacomCBS.
“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.”
Over the course of his 23-year tenure, Annecchino has held a number of positions across ViacomCBS Networks International, formerly Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN). Most recently, he served as President of ViacomCBS Networks Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia (EMEAA), during which time he oversaw operations across a range of markets and led and coordinated VCNI’s mobile strategy globally. Among his achievements were 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 2020 to help drive ViacomCBS’s digital businesses across the EMEAA region, including capturing opportunities across free and pay streaming, advanced advertising and ViacomCBS Digital Studios International. Annecchino also led the expansion of Pluto TV in Europe with the recent successful launch of the service in Spain and the upcoming roll out in France and Italy in 2021.
Prior to joining MTV Networks International in 1997, Annecchino held positions at Turner International, Cartoon Network and CNN. He holds a Bachelor of Economics from the European Business School, London, UK, and an Executive MBA from the Instituto de Empresa International, Madrid, Spain. He completed the CTAM U Executive Management Program at Harvard Business School in 2016 and the CTAM Europe Executive Management Program at INSEAD in 2017.
Lynn commented, “It’s been an honor and a privilege to spend the greatest part of my career at ViacomCBS. 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.”
As President and CEO of VCNI and, before that, VIMN, Lynn was responsible for numerous strategic growth initiatives to diversify the company’s international business, which led to a significant increase in the company’s digital advertising and subscription revenues, among other achievements. As part of this, Lynn oversaw the launch of Viacom International Studios and the international rollout of Pluto TV and Noggin. Previously, he served as President of VIMN UK, Northern and Eastern Europe, where he oversaw Viacom’s global distribution strategy and led the acquisition of Channel 5 Broadcasting and its integration into Viacom. Before that, he was SVP, Managing Director, for Nickelodeon UK, where he strengthened its position in one of the UK’s most competitive viewing demographics, launching Nick Jr. and kick-starting its digital strategy.
About ViacomCBS
ViacomCBS (NASDAQ: VIAC; VIACA) is a leading global media and entertainment company that creates premium content and experiences for audiences worldwide. Driven by iconic consumer brands, its portfolio includes CBS, Showtime Networks, Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, BET, CBS All Access, Pluto TV and Simon & Schuster, among others. The company delivers the largest share of the U.S. television audience and boasts one of the industry’s most important and extensive libraries of TV and film titles. In addition to offering innovative streaming services and digital video products, ViacomCBS provides powerful capabilities in production, distribution and advertising solutions for partners on five continents.
For more information about ViacomCBS, please visit www.viacomcbs.com and follow @ViacomCBS on social platforms.
ViacomCBS Networks International
ViacomCBS Networks International, a unit of ViacomCBS Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAC), comprises many of the world’s most iconic entertainment brands, including Network 10, Channel 5, Telefe, Viacom 18, ViacomCBS International Studios, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, BET, Paramount Network and Pluto TV. In addition to offering innovative streaming services and digital video products, ViacomCBS Networks International provides powerful capabilities in production, distribution and advertising solutions for partners on five continents and across more than 180 countries.
VIAC-IR
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201210005567/en/
Contact information
Media:
Kate Laverge
Senior Vice President, Communications, ViacomCBS Networks International
kate.laverge@viacom.com
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Return Abuse Goes Mainstream as Nearly Half of Consumers Use AI in Return Claims, New Riskified Research Finds22.6.2026 15:30:00 EEST | Press release
Riskified (NYSE: RSKD), a global leader in ecommerce fraud detection and risk intelligence, today released a new global report, “Rewriting the Rules on Returns”, exploring how consumer attitudes and behaviors around ecommerce returns are evolving in the age of artificial intelligence (AI). The Riskified-commissioned study, conducted by eTail Insights, is based on a survey of 2,091 consumers across seven countries, alongside in-depth interviews with senior leaders from many of the largest retail companies in the world. The research finds that return abuse behaviors are increasingly normalized, while nearly half of consumers already use generative AI tools to assist with return or refund claims. At the same time, merchants are responding by tightening return policies, shortening return windows, and deploying advanced AI detection to better distinguish between legitimate behavior and abuse patterns. Key Findings Nearly half of consumers (50%) report using generative AI tools such as ChatG
Forrester Unveils Agendas For 2026 Technology & Innovation Forums In North America And EMEA22.6.2026 15:00:00 EEST | Press release
Forrester (Nasdaq: FORR) today announced the full conference agendas for its Technology & Innovation Forum Central (Austin, September 14–15, 2026), Technology & Innovation Forum EMEA (London, September 30–October 1, 2026), and Technology & Innovation Forum East (New York City, November 4–5, 2026). This year’s theme, “The IT Singularity,” dives into the new AI era in which AI has become ubiquitous and no longer a competitive advantage on its own. To succeed, technology leaders including chief information officers, chief data officers, and chief AI officers need to integrate AI into their operating models, modernize software development and IT operations, strengthen data and governance practices, and align technology investments with business strategy. Across the Forums, tech leaders and their teams will learn how to scale AI responsibly, accelerate delivery, and strengthen executive confidence in an increasingly autonomous, AI-driven environment. Key sessions include: The AI Voyage — Fr
AdvanCell Establishes U.S. Global Headquarters and Secures Flagship Manufacturing Facility in Greater Boston to Drive Growth Strategy22.6.2026 15:00:00 EEST | Press release
AdvanCell, a clinical-stage radiopharmaceutical company developing innovative targeted alpha therapies for cancer, today announced the establishment of its U.S. Global Headquarters in the Greater Boston area, and the lease of a new 128,000-square-foot facility that will become the Company’s U.S. flagship manufacturing center supporting its long-term growth and commercialization strategy. The expansion marks an important milestone in the Company’s evolution into a U.S.-based radiopharmaceutical company with integrated operations spanning North America and Australia. The investment reflects AdvanCell's strategy to expand its U.S. presence and build the infrastructure needed to support the development and future commercialization of ADVC001 and its Lead-212 targeted alpha therapy pipeline. Located in Greater Boston, the Innovation Park campus owned by IQHQ provides access to a world-class life-science ecosystem, supporting the next phase of the Company’s growth. The Andover facility will
Print Creates an Enterprise Dark Data Problem. Vasion Ⓡ Innovated Again to Find the Solution.22.6.2026 15:00:00 EEST | Press release
Every time employees click File > Print to send documents to printers, save them to PDFs or scan them to unmanaged folders, enterprise data becomes unstructured and quietly goes dark. Dark data escapes compliance controls, bypasses AI workflow and quickly becomes a liability. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260622562749/en/ Vasion is the Intelligent Print Automation leader making digital transformation attainable for all by eliminating print servers, consolidating print environments, digitizing and automating workflows. Gartner® reports that “roughly 80% of enterprise information is unstructured, spread across documents, files, and rich content in dozens of systems.” Gartner® also predicts that “by 2028, large enterprises will triple their unstructured data capacity across their on-premises, edge and public cloud locations.” AI is accelerating the trend, not reversing it: As employees use AI tools to generate
HistoSonics Announces Financing with Participation from Yosemite Among Other Strategic Investors22.6.2026 15:00:00 EEST | Press release
HistoSonics, the developer of the Edison® Histotripsy System and novel histotripsy therapy platforms, today announced the closing of a new financing round with participation from Reed Jobs and Yosemite, whose aim is to “make cancer non-lethal in our lifetime,” alongside several new strategic investors. Additional financing terms were not disclosed. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260622435314/en/ HistoSonics Edison® Histotripsy System The financing comes amid significant momentum for HistoSonics as the company continues to expand clinical adoption of histotripsy for liver tumors around the world and is quickly advancing additional applications of its non-invasive platform across solid tumors. "Building a generational company requires partners who bring more than capital,” commented Mike Blue, Chairman & CEO, HistoSonics. “This financing continues to add strategic investors who understand our mission, appreciat
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom