Discovery, Inc. has announced that Rebecca Kent will transition from her role as joint General Manager of Australia and New Zealand to the newly created position of Senior Vice President, Transformation.
Glen Kyne (pictured above), who was appointed joint-lead for Australia and New Zealand alongside Kent following last year’s acquisition of MediaWorks TV, will solely lead the trans-Tasman business going forward as Senior Vice President, General Manager, Australia and New Zealand.
During her time leading the ANZ business, Kent has diversified the portfolio, growing revenues and reach through expansion, including the acquisition of New Zealand’s MediaWorks TV. In her new role, Kent will lead activities related to the proposed Warner Bros. Discovery combined company, reporting into Discovery’s Chief Transformation Officer and President of Asia Pacific, Simon Robinson.
Kyne, who has extensive experience across the ANZ media and telco industries, has co-led the integration and strategy of Discovery’s New Zealand operations since December 2020 and will oversee the ANZ business in its entirety as it leverages opportunities for growth.
Discovery, Inc’s new Senior Vice President, Transformation, Rebecca Kent
“Rebecca has a strong international track record and deep experience within several key business areas across Discovery and is perfectly positioned to transition into this global role as we look to the future of our business,” said Robinson. “Similarly, with increased scale across Australia and New Zealand, Glen’s proven leadership and broad expertise will continue to be pivotal as we drive the full value of Discovery’s brands across both markets.”
Kent will continue to be based in Sydney, Australia and Kyne in Auckland, New Zealand. Both roles are effective immediately.
News of the promotions comes as David Zaslav, President and Chief Executive Officer of Discovery reported overnight, “Discovery delivered very strong results this quarter as we executed well amidst a recovering global advertising market. Advertising revenue increased in every region of the globe and accelerated throughout the quarter, particularly in our International segment as revenue increased 70%. Indeed, many key markets such as the UK, Italy, Germany, as well as a number of Latam and APAC markets, all demonstrated a marked resurgence and finished ahead of 2019.”
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