Munich, 2 December 2009 – Sky Deutschland AG announces that Mark Williams is to step down as Chief Executive Officer on 31 March 2010 for personal reasons. Today the Supervisory Board has appointed Brian Sullivan, Managing Director, Customer Group, British Sky Broadcasting Ltd (BSkyB), as Deputy Chief Executive Officer with effect from 1 January 2010. He will work alongside Williams for three months before taking over as Chief Executive Officer on 1 April 2010.
Brian Sullivan, 47 years, currently manages all elements of BSkyB’s relationship with its customers. Overseeing a team of more than 10,000 people, Sullivan has responsibility for customer acquisition, upgrade and retention, product strategy and development, customer and field operations and market research. In more than 13 years at BSkyB, Sullivan has been a key part of the team developing BSkyB’s multi-product strategy, including managing the development and launch of innovative products such as Sky+ and Sky+HD, both of which have transformed the viewing experience for millions of customers in the UK.
Markus Tellenbach, Chairman of Sky Deutschland’s Supervisory Board, said: “Mark Williams has made an enormous contribution to Sky in a short period of time. He joined in extraordinary circumstances and moved quickly to stabilize the business, closing the security gap, recapitalizing the company, securing new Bundesliga rights and launching the new pay TV service Sky – all in little over a year. We would like to thank him for all that he has done to put the company on the path to growth and respect his decision to rejoin his family following a carefully managed transition.”
“We are delighted to have found such an outstanding new leader for Sky Deutschland. When Brian Sullivan joined BSkyB, it had only slightly more customers than Sky Deutschland does today. Now, it is a model for excellence in our industry. In a marketplace with strong free-to-air broadcasters, Sullivan has played a central role in building a popular, subscription service that is now in more than one in three British homes. Brian launched Sky+ and Sky+HD and implemented a customer-focused strategy that has led BSkyB to be recognized as a leader in innovation and customer experience. His experience will be invaluable to Sky Deutschland.”
Mark Williams, CEO of Sky Deutschland AG, said: “This has been a remarkable 14 months. We have achieved a great deal in a short space of time thanks to the hard work and commitment of the team here. I believe Sky in Germany and Austria has a very bright future and I am proud to have been part of it at an important time.”
Brian Sullivan said: “I am very excited to be joining Sky
Deutschland. Germany remains a largely untapped market, not just
for pay TV but also for HDTV, and I see great potential to build
on the foundation that has been laid to develop a truly
world-class entertainment service. I have had a fantastic time
at BSkyB and shall miss my colleagues there but I look very much
forward to joining Mark and his team in January.”
Notes to Editors
Brian Sullivan is a veteran of the pay television industry, with
more than 20 years of experience in the USA and Europe. He
joined BSkyB in February 1996 and has held a variety of roles at
the company, including Channels Marketing, Digital Transition,
Retention & Customer Marketing and Product Strategy &
Management. Since December 2006, he has been Managing Director
of BSkyB’s Customer Group. Prior to joining BSkyB he has spent
most of his career in the Pay TV industry in the USA, including
time with Viacom's Showtime Networks. He is a native of
Philadelphia, USA, attended Villanova University, and is a
Fellow of the Institute of Direct Marketing.
This press release is available on the Internet at
info.sky.de.
Contact:
Dr. Hans-Jürgen Croissant
Senior Vice President Communications
Tel.: +49 89/99 58-63 97
hans-juergen.croissant@sky.de
Christine Scheil
Vice President Investor Relations
Tel.: +49 89/99 58-10 10
christine.scheil@sky.de