NEP Group names former Fox and Sky exec Brian Sullivan as chief executive
NEP Group has announced that Brian Sullivan will join the company as its new chief executive on 31 August.
Sullivan has previously served in executive leadership roles at Fox Networks Group, Sky Germany and Sky UK.
Sullivan comes to the NEP team most recently from McKinsey & Company where he served as a senior advisor to the consumer, tech and media teams.
Prior to McKinsey, Sullivan was president and COO of Fox Networks Group (later acquired by The Walt Disney Company) and, earlier, for Fox’s Digital Consumer Group.
During his successful tenure at Fox, he oversaw revenue, distribution, digital and international for the group, including Fox TV Group, Fox Sports, FX Networks and National Geographic, and built the company’s streaming strategy and platform and its direct-to-consumer business. He also served on the boards of Hulu and National Geographic Partners.
Prior to Fox, Sullivan was chief executive at Sky Deutschland, where he is credited with one of the largest turnarounds in European media history. During his five years with the company, he and his team championed a customer-first approach with innovations like Sky Go, one of the first on-demand entertainment and live sports streaming services in the world.
Before his time at Sky Deutschland, Sullivan spent 15 years at Sky UK, where he held nine separate roles across the entirety of the business, eventually rising to managing director of the Customer Group.
During this time his teams helped develop several innovative firsts in Europe, including the Sky Digital platform, Sky Interactive (including live multiscreen sport), Sky+, a personal video recording (PVR, also known as DVR) service, high definition TV (Sky+ HD), and Sky Broadband.
“Challenge and change are always the biggest drivers of innovation, and as the global industry leader, NEP is well-positioned to use these forces to keep growing and to take us to new heights.”
Mike Werteen, global president at NEP Broadcast Services, said: “Brian brings invaluable industry and leadership experience to NEP, which will help guide us in our next stage of growth and shape the way NEP and the industry work together to drive the future of live broadcasting and events. Brian embodies the core values our company was founded upon and that our employees demonstrate every day: customer-focused innovation, delivering superior service for our clients, having a passion for what we do and working together as One Team.”
Graham Andrews, global president at NEP Live Events, added: “Brian has spent decades transforming businesses in the US and Europe into digital powerhouses focused on delivering content the way consumers want, when they want it. He understands our business and our clients’ needs at their core—and where we need to go next. The entire executive team has full confidence in Brian’s leadership and capabilities to help drive our company forward.”
Sullivan, reflecting on his new role at NEP, said: “I couldn’t be more proud to join NEP, especially at such an exciting time in the broadcast and live events industry. Challenge and change are always the biggest drivers of innovation, and as the global industry leader, NEP is well positioned to use these forces to keep growing and to take us to new heights. We look forward to partnering with our clients around the world to develop new ways to address their needs while bringing an even better experience to customers. I’m looking forward to getting started and getting to know our incredible team—we have so many opportunities in front of us.”
“We are delighted that Brian is joining NEP as its new CEO and we look forward to partnering with him through NEP’s next phase of growth,” said Tyler Zachem, partner in Carlyle Global Partners. “Brian emerged as the outstanding candidate from a comprehensive recruitment process. His industry experience, strategic vision and track record of leading companies through transformational periods make him uniquely positioned to lead NEP. We look forward to partnering with Brian and the whole team to ensure the Company continues to thrive, remains a great place to work for its employees and continues to provide outstanding service and innovative solutions to its customers.”
Sullivan grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and currently lives in Los Angeles, California with his wife and three children. He attended Villanova University and has served on the Boards of Directors for several companies over his career. Today, he is an active Board member of Technicolor AG and Astrolabs LLC.