BSkyB Exec Takes Reins at Sky Deutschland

MUNICH: Brian Sullivan has been appointed as the new CEO of German pay-TV platform Sky Deutschland effective April 1, replacing Mark Williams, who is stepping down at the end of March for personal reasons.

Sullivan is currently the managing director of the customer group at BSkyB. He becomes deputy CEO of Sky Deutschland at the beginning of 2010 and will work alongside Williams for three months. Markus Tellenbach, the chairman of Sky Deutschland’s Supervisory Board, said of the leadership change: “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.”

He continued: “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.”