Astral Gets New EVP & COO

MONTREAL: Astral Media has named Jacques Parisien as its executive VP and chief operating officer, tapped to drive the new one-company focus and strategy.

Parisien has been with Astral since 1994, serving as group president of Astral Radio and out-of-home since 2004. In his new role, he will lead the presidents of Astral’s business units in overseeing the company’s operations and coordinating activities to bolster business opportunities across its media portfolio.

He takes up his new role as of January 1, 2011, while still remaining as the head of the Astral Radio group.

"I am delighted to have a long-time colleague and seasoned Astral executive like Jacques accept this new position," said Ian Greenberg, Astral’s president and CEO. "As we put a greater focus on our one-company strategy to drive effective organic growth, Jacques will spearhead our efforts to further unlock the full potential of our properties and bring additional value to advertisers and consumers."

"Each of Astral’s business units has depth and operational strengths that can be better leveraged across the broader organization," commented Parisien. "Through tighter and more strategic coordination, we expect to be able to capitalize on untapped revenue opportunities, capture advantages of scale and use our organization’s resources more effectively. Greater collaboration will enhance our ability to leverage the scope and reach of our media properties and platforms to the greater benefit of our advertisers."

Greenberg added, "Continued growth will require a concerted effort on several fronts over the next few years. Maintaining Astral’s strong track record in terms of performance and growth is at the heart of my vision for the company and for this appointment." He continued, "Implementing our one-company strategy will be an important component of our company’s future success and our ability to deliver long-term growth."