Best Startup
At Best Startup UK we track over 130,000 UK startups and over 500,000 people who hold key positions in these companies. We use this directory of startups to highlight top employees, founders and board members we think deserve more appreciation than they are currently getting.
This list showcases the top United Kingdom based VP’ operating in the Media and Entertainment space. If you think a VP’ is missing from this list, feel free to contact our editor on editor@beststartup.co.uk.
The individuals on this list have been included because of exceptional performance in one of the following categories:
- Innovation – Operating as a key part in an extremely innovative business or startup.
- Growth – Operating as a key figure in the growth and upscale of a market leading business or startup.
- Management – Showing exceptional management skills.
- Societal impact – Putting their business on the map for their positive societal or environmental impact.
Our Data – We source our data from OSINT (open source intelligence) and public directories such as Companies House UK, Crunchbase, SemRush and many more. The data from these sources should be treated with a degree of caution and verified yourself.
Hendrik McDermott
SVP & Managing Director HAYU of NBCUniversal
Hendrik McDermott is Senior Vice President, Branded On Demand at NBCUniversal International, based in London. Here he leads an entrepreneurial digital business unit focused on the company’s branded video on-demand (VOD) and over the top (OTT) services, and is primarily responsible for developing and bringing new direct-to-consumer television products to market. In this role, McDermott leads hayu, NBCU’s next generation subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) reality service, which launched in the UK, Ireland and Australia in March 2016. The first all-reality service of its kind – curated and fully integrated with social media – hayu is available on a full array of devices (mobile, tablet, laptop) at www.hayu.com Previously, McDermott led NBCUniversal International Networks’ affiliate sales, managing negotiation and partnership activities with clients and partners across 9 regional offices. He began at NBCUniversal in 2006, when was the founding member of the international corporate development team with responsibility for all territories outside the US and Canada.
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About NBCUniversal: NBCUniversal is an American multinational media conglomerate that is a subsidiary division of Comcast.
David O’Donoghue
EVP, Business Affairs & Operations, NBCUniversal International Studios of NBCUniversal
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About NBCUniversal: NBCUniversal is an American multinational media conglomerate that is a subsidiary division of Comcast.
Olivier Robert-Murphy
Executive Vice President of Universal Music Group
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About Universal Music Group: Universal Music Group offers music recording, publishing, and merchandising services worldwide.
Mark Adams
Senior Vice President and Head of Innovation of Vice Media
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About Vice Media: Vice Media is a North American digital media and broadcasting company.
Connon MacRae
VP Technical Operations, INTL of Ticketmaster
Long time Ticketmaster veteran who started in the UK London call centre selling tickets as a casual worker back in 1997. He got lucky, got help and worked hard. As a result, he now leads the Technical Operations group for the International team at Ticketmaster. Ticketmaster is over 40 years old and during that time, Connon has seen a number of Technology and Culture shifts.
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About Ticketmaster: Ticketmaster is the world’s largest ticket marketplace and the global market leader in live event ticketing.
Marius Rausch
VP & Managing Director Central Europe of Xandr
Marius Rausch is the Director of Product Marketing at AppNexus, the world’s largest independent advertising technology company. In this position Marius is responsible for product marketing for the publishers segment in EMEA. Marius is a longtime expert and pioneer for Programmatic Marketing. Marius’ last position was as Head of Premium Publisher Platform and RTA for the programmatic business one of the largest AGOF marketer, Interactive Media, responsible, which he has built up since 2010 and is responsible for strategic operational. Previously Marius initiated building projects and the development of CRM systems and their integration in Online Advertising Product Management of Deutsche Telekom AG.
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About Xandr: Xandr is an advertising company.
Lars Silberbauer Andersen
Senior Vice President of Viacom
Lars is Global Director of Social Media & Search at the LEGO Group and is driving the well know and innovative toy company’s social media & search strategy and execution. He has building the company’s social media engagement from scratch and now leads a global team of social media & search marketeers that drives real time engagement with consumers world wide. In 2014 he launched LEGO® TV in 24 markets. LEGO® TV is a native mobile experience for kids where they can experience high quality animated LEGO content and also heads up the LEGO YouTube channels. Previously he worked for 10 years in the digital and broadcast media industry as digital strategist and later creative manager driving digital strategy and leading project development for Danish Broadcasting Corporation. He has also worked in the US, driving web development and user research. He holds and MA in Digital Media Science and a HD in Innovation and Organizational Strategy.
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About MENA Digital Awards, The LEGO Group, Viacom: Viacom is an American media conglomerate specializing in cable, satellite television networks, and cinema.
Adam Cardew
Vice President of Sony Music Entertainment
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About Sony Music Entertainment: Sony Music is a United States music corporation owned and operated by Sony Corporation of America, a subsidiary of Japanese conglomerate
David Reay
Senior Vice President Human Resources of Sony Music Entertainment
David Reay, Sony Music Entertainment’s head of HR for the international business, is responsible for championing and driving the talent activity across Sony Music. This primary involves innovating around the foundations of HR – development, performance management, team effectiveness and engagement. Prior to SME David worked in a number of talent development and learning roles in the financial services sector, defence and IT industries. David’s focus in all of his roles has been cracking the connection between individual purpose and business success.
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About Sony Music Entertainment: Sony Music is a United States music corporation owned and operated by Sony Corporation of America, a subsidiary of Japanese conglomerate
Steve Ackerman
EVP and Co-head Global Podcasts of Sony Music Entertainment
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About Sony Music Entertainment: Sony Music is a United States music corporation owned and operated by Sony Corporation of America, a subsidiary of Japanese conglomerate
Alan Flower
Senior Vice President – CTO EMEA & Global Head, Cloud Native Labs of HCL Technologies
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About HCL Technologies: HCL Technologies is a global IT services company, working with clients in the areas that impact and redefine the core of their businesses.
Errol Baran
SVP, Business Development and Innovation, Global of BBC Worldwide
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About BBC Worldwide: BBC Worldwide Limited is the main commercial arm and a wholly owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).
Giovanni Dolci
Vice President, Theatre Development and Managing Director, Europe and Africa of IMAX
Giovanni Dolci joined IMAX Corporation in October 2012 as Vice President, Theatre Development. In January 2017 he was also appointed Managing Director Europe and Africa, where he is responsible for growing and expanding the IMAX theatre network across the two continents. He previously served as Director of Business Development and Commercial Operations at Arts Alliance, where he was in charge of negotiations with cinema exhibitors and film distributors throughout EMEA to support the market’s transition to digital projection technology and where he helped establish a worldwide digital distribution platform. Prior to Arts Alliance, Giovanni Dolci worked in film financing and oversaw a number of projects based in New Zealand, Italy and the UK. He has a degree in Economics and Management from Bocconi University in Milan and an MSc in Management from Cass Business School in London. He is a Junior Fellow of the Aspen Institute Italy.
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About IMAX: IMAX Corporation is one of the world’s leading entertainment technology companies, specializing in immersive motion picture technologies.
John Davies
VP GreenBiz Intelligence of GreenBiz Group
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About GreenBiz Group: The group for sustainability professionals interested in aligning environmental responsibility with business success.
Alix Wiseman
Senior Vice President Distribution & Acquisitions of 9 Story Media Group
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About 9 Story Media Group: A leading content creator, marketer and distributor of kids & family focused intellectual property.
Chris Rose
VP Production & Development of ViacomCBS Networks International
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About ViacomCBS Networks International: ViacomCBS Networks International offers powerful brands across every genre, format, demographic, and multimedia entertainment brand.
