Marc Antoine, whose reputation precedes him as an M&A specialist, usually comes into a company when a big change is on the horizon.
I wish all of you a very happy New Year. 2020 is a very special year for BroadcastPro ME as we step into our 10th year. I recall it was four months after the launch of BroadcastPro that Marc-Antoine d’Halluin announced his departure from OSN.
And now we have come full circle, as he returns to Dubai to take up the mantle from Sam Barnett as CEO of MBC Group. Personally, I can’t think of a better fit for the role than Marc-Antoine as MBC gets ready for its next phase of growth.
His arrival in the market raises some very pertinent and obvious questions about MBC Group’s own plans. Is a partial or complete move to Saudi Arabia on the cards for the Saudi-owned broadcast network, given the Kingdom’s new vision? If so, Marc-Antoine may be instrumental in making that happen.
This is all conjecture, of course, but Marc-Antoine’s entry into a company has usually signified big change. He was appointed CEO of OSN when Orbit and Showtime were merged. Later, as CEO of Zodiak Media, he is reported to have led its merger with European media giant Banijay during his two-year tenure there.
In short, when Marc-Antoine arrives, there is usually a bigger story at play. It’s no secret that Saudi Arabia has been keen to bring Kingdom-owned players back to home ground, especially with its very ambitious 2030 Vision. Saudi-owned Initgral made that move last year. Will it be MBC’s turn now? It’s pure speculation, but it’s not without legs.
In the meantime, BroadcastPro is also planning some new events next year as part of efforts to remain at the forefront of bringing expert knowledge and experience to the regional market. To that effect, we plan to introduce an OTT conference alongside our 10th anniversary celebrations this June. We hope to bring new faces and companies into the fold, so if you’d like to sponsor, speak or submit a research paper, please get in touch. We have other surprises in store, but we will unveil them slowly over the course of the year.
Until then, enjoy the New Year.
