Leadership Team Announced for National Geographic Partners

NEW YORK/WASHINGTON, D.C.: Ward Platt and Courteney Monroe are set to take on expanded roles at National Geographic Partners, the new entity encompassing the Nat Geo channels, magazine and other assets.

In September, National Geographic Society and 21st Century Fox announced an expanded deal whereby Fox would hold 73 percent of a new business combining the National Geographic television channels and other media and consumer-oriented assets. National Geographic Partners is run by Declan Moore as CEO.

Under the new structure, Ward Platt, currently COO at FOX International Channels and CEO of National Geographic Channels International, becomes COO of National Geographic Partners. Working with Moore, he will drive global revenues for all of National Geographic Partners’s businesses, including channel distribution, advertising, digital publishing, licensing, travel and consumer products.

Courteney Monroe, CEO of National Geographic Channels U.S., will now serve as CEO of National Geographic Global Networks. In this position she will oversee global programming, operations and marketing for the portfolio of National Geographic Channels around the world. Monroe is also taking on responsibility for National Geographic Studios, the in-house television production studio previously part of National Geographic Ventures. Under the new structure, Nat Geo will maintain its programming hubs in London, New York and Washington, D.C.

In other appointments, Jeffrey Schneider, the executive VP of business and legal affairs for National Geographic Channels, takes on the same post at National Geographic Partners; and Susan Goldberg, editor-in-chief of National Geographic magazine, adds the title of editorial director, responsible for all publishing activities.

“Upon completing the transaction to form National Geographic Partners, we are thrilled to bring these incredibly talented executives to the senior leadership team,” Moore said. “National Geographic is one of the world’s most trusted brands, delivering unique and compelling storytelling of science, discovery and wonder to consumers for over a century. We’re excited to officially begin our journey to bring a new and integrated National Geographic experience to people worldwide, and I look forward to partnering with Ward Platt and working with Susan Goldberg, Courteney Monroe and Jeffrey Schneider to share the National Geographic mission with an even larger audience.”