Former KidsCo MD Tapped for Affiliate Sales Role at UNI

LONDON: Hendrik McDermott, formerly the managing director of KidsCo, has been named senior VP of affiliate sales for Universal Networks International (UNI), which has also given new roles to Zoltan Vardy and Marie Holive.

McDermott will be working closely with the strategy and development team, local managing directors and affiliates sales teams. Before being appointed to this new role, McDermott was the managing director of KidsCo, the joint-venture children’s channel between NBCUniversal and Corus Entertainment. Prior to this, he was a founding member of NBCUniversal International’s business development group, where he led and executed a variety of acquisitions, strategic planning and the commercial initiatives for the company.

As the senior VP of advertising sales, Vardy will be responsible for all advertising revenue generated through international and local direct sales, and local sales agency relationships. Prior to joining UNI, he was most recently leading Mentor Equity, the consultancy he founded to invest in digital advertising and marketing start-ups and to advise media companies and private equity firms.

Prior to her promotion as the senior VP of finance, Holive was VP of financial planning and analysis for UNI, having transitioned from Universal Pictures International Entertainment UK, where she was finance director from 2008.

Holive joined NBCUniversal from General Electric Corporate Audit Staff, where she led multiple operational and financial audits for GE businesses across the world.

All three will report to Satpal Brainch, the executive VP and managing director of Universal Networks International. Brainch commented: “Hendrik, Zoltan and Marie are key appointments to Universal Networks International’s leadership team. Their collective experience will be a tremendous asset to UNI, particularly in driving growth across the business, and further building upon the strength of our affiliate and advertising sales worldwide.”