Discovery Networks EMEA Names New COO

LONDON, January 13: David Rey has been appointed to the post of chief operating officer for Discovery Networks EMEA, covering Europe, the Middle East and Africa, excluding the U.K.

Rey will report to and partner with Arthur Bastings, the executive VP and managing director of Discovery Networks EMEA. Based in London, Rey is tasked with managing and developing EMEA’s business portfolio, which includes 12 brands.

Rey joins Discovery from BSkyB, where he currently serves as business development director. During his 12 years with the company, Rey held a number of head of finance positions in diverse areas. Prior to joining Sky, Rey was the strategic development manager for International Distillers, working on brands such as Smirnoff and Bailey’s.

"David is highly respected in the broadcasting community thanks to his commercial skills and deep understanding of the broadcast business," said Bastings. "He will be a valuable addition to the winning team we have put together and will lead our efforts to support our high-growth business portfolio, enabling us to further strengthen the promising local operations we have built in key EMEA markets."

"I am very much looking forward to working with Arthur Bastings and the Discovery Networks EMEA management team to ensure that we respond to the wide range of growth opportunities across the entire region, and further strengthen Discovery’s position as one of Europe’s leading broadcasters," added Rey.

—By Kristin Brzoznowski