In a shake-up of a major Middle Eastern broadcaster MBC Group CEO, CEO Marc Antoine d’Halluin has retired. The manager, Sam Barnett, has replaced the business, which is returning as CEO after retiring in December 2019 after 17 years with the company.
Marc Antoine d’Halluin is not leaving MBC, however, and has now been named as an advisor to his board to “lead his strategic vision,” the MBC terse statement said.
Since taking over the leadership of MBC, d’Halluin – a former TV executive who began his career at Sony Pictures Entertainment, was CEO of Zodiak Media and previously had a wealth of experience in the Middle East. the launch of the broadcaster Shahid VIP OTT rebranding platform, this year, as a result of the pandemic, the subscriber grew skyrocket. Under his leadership, MBC halted efforts to produce an original Arab product.
However, according to sources, Halluin’s autocratic ruling style did not earn him popular points at the Saudi-based Dubai-based network, which has 2,800 employees.
After nearly a year at the helm of MBC, Hulu exec Johannes Larcher, who was hired as MBC’s digital operations head in early 2019, left to head HBO Max International. Recently, earlier this month, MBC communications chief Mazen Hayek resigned after 14 years.
The MBC statement noted that Barnett, who has been instrumental in MBC becoming a key player in the Middle East, “brings a wealth of experience to strengthen MBC Group’s senior management team. ”
In separate news, The board of directors of MBC Group has announced that they have named Majid Al Ibrahim, brother of MBC chairman Waleed Al Ibrahim, as the board’s representative.
MBC’s statement confirmed that the regulatory reform is to keep up with the “acceleration of opportunities in the digital media and OTT markets and meet the challenge of delivering Saudi Kingdom’s Vision 2030 media agenda,” which Yes a package of economic and social policies designed to free Saudi Arabia from dependence on an oil-based economy.