Lise Heidal named president, NEP Broadcast Services Europe
Lise Heidal has been appointed president, NEP Europe for NEP Broadcast Services, effective 1 April. Based in Norway, Heidal will set the strategy, priorities and focus areas for nine countries in Northern, Central and Southern Europe, as well as in the UK and Ireland, to lead the future planning of NEP’s broadcast services businesses.
With over 25 years of multifaceted experience in the media, telecom and consulting industries, Heidal stands out as a pragmatic leader committed to driving operational excellence, business transformation and strategic innovation. Known as someone committed to building great teams with a genuine interest in the people she works with, Heidal’s approach combines strategic vision and operational expertise, while fostering a culture of accountability. Most recently she served as VP of production at TV 2, the largest commercial broadcaster in Norway. Prior to that, she served as managing director of NEP Norway and led several global NEP initiatives that achieved continuous development and profitable growth from 2010 to 2021.
As part of the new European leadership team, Christer Pålsson has been named chief commercial officer for Europe, reporting into Heidal. As CCO, Pålsson will be responsible for all commercial and sales activities across the region and work closely with NEP’s global sales team to align strategy and execution, including for major events worldwide. He brings with him extensive experience in business leadership, sales, client service, partnerships and operations for NEP in the Nordics, Central and Southern Europe. Prior to joining NEP, Pålsson was head of international sales for Mediatec Broadcasting, which became a part of NEP in 2015.
To support this transition, Jose (Tex) Teixeira will join NEP on 4 April initially as president for NEP Nordics, Central & Southern Europe. Teixeira brings with him over 30 years of sport broadcast experience delivering world-class live productions in Africa and New Zealand. A creative, loyal and energetic individual with a can-do spirit, he has specialised in content strategy and acquisition, programming and production, leading large teams, building dynamic environments and managing strategic relationships with rights holders, federations and suppliers across multiple territories throughout his career. He most recently served as chief content officer for SuperSport and as interim CEO in 2023.
Rounding out the European senior leadership team, Arjan van Westerloo and Steve Jenkins will continue in their current roles as president, NEP The Netherlands, and president, NEP UK & Ireland, respectively.
Mike Werteen, global president of NEP Broadcast Services, said: “Combining our UK and European businesses under a single, dynamic and experienced leadership team is an exciting step forward. Having such a powerful group in place enables us to achieve our vision to be the leading global media services provider in live sports and entertainment. Under Lise’s direction, supported by the foundations that all European and UK team members have put into place, I’m confident we will be able to harness all of the talent, synergies, sales and employee career opportunities across these important markets.”
Heidal said: “I am deeply honoured to accept the position as lead of the NEP Broadcast Services European organisation. It is a privilege to have the opportunity to work with a team of such dedicated and talented individuals. I am fully committed to enhancing our collaborative efforts across Europe, to serving our clients, and to continue building on our shared successes.”
While continuing to manage the day-to-day business, the first priority for the European leadership team will be to drive increased collaboration and process improvements for the region as part of the company’s 2024 goals and longer-term plans.