Bob Bakish Named MIPCOM Personality of the Year

Bob Bakish, president and CEO of Paramount Global, has been selected as the Personality of the Year to be honored at MIPCOM.

The Personality of the Year award will be presented as part of a keynote session in the Grand Auditorium of the Palais des Festivals in Cannes on Tuesday, October 17, at 5 p.m.

Bakish oversees a portfolio of multiplatform consumer brands, including flagship streaming services Paramount+ and Pluto TV; the Paramount Pictures film studio; and television networks CBS, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, BET, Channel 5 in the U.K., Network 10 in Australia and Telefe in Argentina, among other properties that together serve audiences in more than 180 countries. Bakish has led Paramount since 2019, unifying the company created from the recombination of Viacom and CBS, and prior to this, Bakish was president and CEO of Viacom since 2016.

“Bob Bakish personifies exemplary leadership during these transformative times,” said Lucy Smith, director of MIPCOM CANNES. “Perhaps most ‘paramount’ to everyone attending MIPCOM CANNES is Bob’s market-leading growth strategy that sees streaming and third-party international licensing not only co-exist but flourish as business models under one global media company. He is equipping Paramount for its next era, and our Personality of the Year 2023 honor could not be timelier or more relevant.”

“I am deeply honored to receive the MIPCOM CANNES Personality of the Year award at this watershed moment in media,” said Bakish. “The privilege of leading our global team under the storied Paramount brand is as thrilling as ever, and I’m excited to share how we’re positioning our business for continued growth as we entertain audiences around the world.”