NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Viacom (NASDAQ:VIAB)(NASDAQ:VIA) today announced that Sarah Iooss will become SVP, Business Development. Iooss, who was previously SVP, Velocity Products Group in Viacom’s Ad Sales division, will dual report to Ross Martin, EVP of Marketing Strategy & Engagement, and Kern Schireson, EVP of Data Strategy and Consumer Intelligence.
The Business Development group is charged with accelerating partnerships that will continue to evolve Viacom’s social, digital and mobile arenas, along with its industry-leading data-driven Ad Sales solutions.
Iooss was tapped for her vast knowledge of social and digital platforms where she maintains long-established relationships, as well as her development and implementation of services and products that helped to advance Ad Sales’ goals. Her background is ideal for leading the new Business Development group, which now sits in a division that encompasses the intersection of key growth and innovation initiatives, such as data and fan engagement. Previously, the Business Development group resided in a division with a primarily digital-only focus.
“In this transformative and convergent time in our industry, the Viacom Business Development team is an engine of growth and innovation,” said Schireson. “Sarah is a proven leader whose vast network and achievements in the digital and social space made her our ideal choice for this role. We are excited for Sarah and her team to create new value for Viacom, our partners and the fans of our brands.”
The Business Development team launches with 10 strategists focused on two broad categories: Technology Platforms, which will establish ad supported content partnerships across the digital and mobile space; and, Fan Platforms, which will leverage Viacom’s organic presence on social media and create content and advertising opportunities for both fans and advertising partners.
The Business Development team recently closed a partnership with Snapchat which extended MTV and Comedy Central’s presence on Snapchat Discover, Live Stories, and granted Viacom the right to sell Snapchat’s U.S. owned and operated advertising inventory. Iooss will continue partnership development with Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, and more.
Iooss has been with Viacom for 12 years, and was at A&E Television Networks prior to that.
About Viacom
Viacom is home to premier global media brands that create compelling television programs, motion pictures, short-form content, apps, games, consumer products, social media experiences, and other entertainment content for audiences in 180 countries. Viacom's media networks, including Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, Spike, BET, CMT, TV Land, Nick at Nite, Nick Jr., Channel 5 (UK), Logo, Nicktoons, TeenNick and Paramount Channel, reach over 3.5 billion cumulative television subscribers worldwide. Paramount Pictures 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.
