New President, GM for Discovery Commerce

SILVER
SPRING, November 21: Discovery Communications has upped Patrick Gates to the
role of president and general manager of Discovery Commerce, having most
recently served as interim president and general manager in the division.

Gates
will be responsible for providing the strategic vision for the Discovery
Commerce division, which comprises home video, licensing and direct-to-consumer
sales. His immediate focus will be on developing selling strategies that align
with each network’s brand and programming initiatives, with an emphasis on
growing the division’s core businesses.

Since
joining Discovery in 2005, Gates has served as both the executive VP and
general manager of the Consumer Direct unit of Commerce as well as the role of
interim president of Commerce. Prior to joining Discovery, Gates worked at AOL
Time Warner, where he was senior VP for commerce, leading the company's direct
marketing and retail advertising groups. A 25-year retail veteran, Gates has
held senior leadership positions in marketing, merchandising and e-commerce
with brands including Neiman Marcus, Barney’s New York, QVC and HSN.

"Patrick
has provided steady leadership to the Commerce business during a critical
time" said Mark Hollinger, the company’s president global business and
operations. "His experience and business acumen have already delivered for
Discovery in his role as EVP and interim president, and I look forward to
working with him at the helm to develop new ways to drive growth and
profitability."

—By
Kristin Brzoznowski