Viacom Names Ross Martin to Newly Created Position of Executive Vice President, Marketing Strategy and Engagement, Viacom Media Networks

Viacom Media Networks’ Research, Data and Creative Teams Align to Better Measure and Engage Audiences

Data Science Expert Kern Schireson Joins Viacom as Executive Vice President, Data Strategy and Consumer Intelligence, Viacom Media Networks

Ross Martin, Executive Vice President, Marketing Strategy and Engagement, Viacom Media Networks (Photo: Business Wire)

NEW YORK--()--Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA) today named Ross Martin to the newly created position of Executive Vice President, Marketing Strategy and Engagement for Viacom Media Networks. In his role, Martin will oversee Viacom Media Networks’ corporate research, data, and creative strategy teams. Under his leadership, the company’s Strategic Insights and Research and Data and Audience Development teams will align and collaborate to develop new systems and tools for audience measurement and engagement.

Philippe Dauman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Viacom said: “Viacom continues to evolve to serve the media marketplace’s desire to marry creative innovation with unique data, research, and engagement capabilities. Ross has done a brilliant job of connecting creativity and consumer insight and has helped us channel the power of our brands in radical new ways. In this expanded role, he’ll bring his extraordinary creative energy, leadership, and vision to deliver value for Viacom’s media networks and our partners.”

Martin will continue to report to Rich Eigendorff, Chief Operating Officer of Viacom Media Networks, and lead the following teams:

  • Strategic Insights and Research, led by Colleen Fahey Rush, Executive Vice President and Chief Research Officer;
  • Data and Audience Development, led by Bill Ostroff, Executive Vice President;
  • Catalyst creative services, led by Cheryl Family, Senior Vice President;
  • Scratch, led by Anne Hubert, Senior Vice President.

Viacom today also announced it has appointed Kern Schireson to the newly created position of Executive Vice President, Data Strategy and Consumer Intelligence. In his role, Kern will oversee the Strategic Insights and Research and Data and Audience Development teams, with a focus on developing new systems and tools for measuring content consumption across platforms.

Most recently, Martin served as Executive Vice President of Scratch, Viacom Media Networks’ creative consulting team. With Scratch, Martin conducted groundbreaking work to connect Viacom’s marketing partners with its youth audiences, through consumer insights to content development to product design, and more. Prior to forming Scratch, Martin served as Senior Vice President of MTV 360 Production and Development and earlier he served as Head of Programming for mtvU. Martin has earned wide recognition across the media and entertainment industry. In 2012, he was named one of Fast Company's “100 Most Creative People in Business” and a "Media Maven" by Advertising Age. In 2013, he was named to Fortune Magazine's "40 under 40" list of rising business leaders. This year, he will be inducted into the Advertising Hall of Achievement.

Schireson joins Viacom from Schireson Associates, a data science and analytics firm he founded in 2003. The firm serves clients in a range of industries, including media and entertainment, technology, consumer products, and finance. Schireson has worked extensively across Viacom, in areas including Ad Sales, MTV Music Strategy, and Scratch.

About Viacom

Viacom is home to premier global media brands that create compelling television programs, motion pictures, short-form video, apps, games, consumer products, social media and other entertainment content for audiences in more than 160 countries and territories. Viacom's media networks, including MTV, VH1, CMT, Logo, BET, CENTRIC, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., TeenNick, Nicktoons, Nick at Nite, Comedy Central, TV Land, SPIKE, Channel 5 (UK), Tr3s, Paramount Channel and VIVA, reach approximately 700 million television subscribers worldwide. Paramount Pictures, America's oldest film studio, is a major global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment.

For more information about Viacom and its businesses, visit www.viacom.com. Keep up with Viacom news by following Viacom's blog at blog.viacom.com and Twitter feed at www.twitter.com/viacom.

Contacts

Viacom Inc.
Mark Jafar, 212-846-8961
mark.jafar@viacom.com

Contacts

Viacom Inc.
Mark Jafar, 212-846-8961
mark.jafar@viacom.com