These appointments and promotions align with the company's ongoing strategy to expand its commercial operations in the region.
BBC Studios has announced a series of strategic appointments aimed at bolstering its commercial presence in the Benelux, Nordics, and MENA regions. These appointments reflect the company’s commitment to growing its commercial business in these vital markets.
Andrea Raman has been promoted to the position of Business Development Director, Nordic, MENA, Turkey, where she will be responsible for distribution partnerships of BBC Studios branded services within these regions. Based in London, Andrea will also lead the development of new business opportunities and commercial strategic partnerships, curating packages of BBC brands and content in collaboration with third-party partners. Andrea, who joined BBC Studios earlier this year, brings a wealth of commercial experience from her work with renowned international brands such as ESPN Star Sports, MGM, CNBC, and A+E Networks.
Speaking about the promotion, Andrea Raman said: “At BBC Studios I’ve forged fantastic partnerships across MENA and Turkey and I’m delighted that under this new role, I’ll be able to add Nordics to this portfolio as well as strengthen, explore and develop new opportunities for our extensive branded services.”
Based in Amsterdam and reporting to Arran Tindall, Chief Commercial Officer, EVP, EMEA Key Markets, Bram Husken assumes the newly created role of Vice President, Benelux. In this capacity, he will be responsible for the profit and loss (P&L) across the Benelux region, driving the commercial strategy and maximising returns from BBC-branded services and content sales opportunities in the area. Husken brings over two decades of experience in the media industry to the role, with a track record of senior executive positions in leading organisations. He most recently served as VP of Content Distribution & Management Benelux, Nordics & RCIS at Paramount Global, where he oversaw strategic content distribution partnerships and played a pivotal role in launching the SkyShowtime streaming service across European territories.
Commenting on his new role, Bram Husken said: “It’s an exciting time to be joining BBC Studios in Amsterdam, it is an iconic brand that has an impressive track record for great content, creativity and business within the creative industries here, so I’m delighted to contribute to the brands further growth across the Benelux.”
Also based in Amsterdam, Hale Mouritz has been promoted to the newly created position of Director of Programming, Western Europe for services in Benelux and Nordics. Hale will lead the Benelux and Nordics Programming teams, overseeing editorial and content strategy and scheduling initiatives for BBC-branded services in the regions. She will also play a crucial role in expanding brand awareness for BBC Studios in the local market. Hale’s prior role as Head of Programming, Western Europe at BBC Studios involved responsibilities for the performance of both linear and VOD services. During her tenure, she led the successful rebranding of BBC Studios’ Nordic channels and achieved remarkable milestones, including making BBC First in the Netherlands one of the top 10 most-watched channels in the country.
Mouritz stated: “Our audiences are at the heart of everything we do here at BBC Studios and in this new role I’m excited to develop and enhance the audience experience even further across the Benelux and Nordics regions through our curated and outstanding branded services.”
These appointments will reallocate responsibilities previously held by Simon Cottle, VP of Affiliate Sales Western Europe, who is set to retire this year. The strategic appointments underscore BBC Studios’ commitment to maximising value from its branded services and cultivating significant customer relationships across various lines of business.
On announcing the appointments, Arran Tindall, Chief Commercial Officer, EVP, EMEA Key Markets commented: “Bram Husken is a strategic and talented leader who brings local expertise in the Benelux, I’m pleased that he is going to be leading our efforts in the region as we look to develop the BBC Studios brands and future portfolio in Benelux. Bram’s appointment alongside the well-deserved promotions of Hale Mouritz and Andrea Raman are vital for the EMEA business as we look to maximise value from our branded services and grow our major customer relationships in the territories across all our lines of business. Harnessing their expertise will enable us to unlock new business opportunities and achieve our growth ambitions in the regions.”
