Bob Bakish
Bob Bakish | |
---|---|
Born | Robert Marc Bakish December 14, 1963 |
Education | Master of Business Administration |
Alma mater | Dwight-Englewood School Columbia University |
Occupation | CEO of Paramount Global |
Employer | Paramount Global |
Term | since December 4, 2019 |
Robert Marc Bakish (/ˈbækɪʃ/ BACK-ish;[1] born December 14, 1963) is an American business executive. He has been president and CEO of Paramount Global since December 4, 2019, formerly holding the same position at Viacom before the merger with CBS Corporation.
Early life and education
A native of New Jersey who was born to a jewish family,[2] Bakish attended Dwight-Englewood School in Englewood, New Jersey, graduating in 1981.[3][4][5]
He received a Bachelor of Science in operations research in 1985 from Columbia University's School of Engineering and Applied Science.[6][7] He earned an MBA from Columbia Business School in 1989.[6]
After receiving his MBA, Bakish joined the management and technology consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton in 1990, and rose to become a partner in its media and entertainment practice.[8][citation needed]
Career at Paramount
Early positions
In February 1997, Bakish joined Viacom. Initially as vice president of planning and development,[8] he became senior vice president of planning, development and technology in January 1998.[8]
In October 1999, he became the executive vice president of planning and business development of Viacom's subsidiary
In 2004, he was appointed executive vice president of operations of
Head of international operations
In January 2007 Bakish became President of
When MTVNI CEO Bill Roedy resigned in January 2011, Bakish was promoted to the newly created position of president and CEO of
CEO
In October 2016, Bakish was named acting president and CEO of Viacom effective November 15, replacing interim CEO
In early 2017, Bakish laid out a five-point plan to turn Viacom around and return the company to steady profitability. This consisted of focusing on Viacom's six flagship brands: BET, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr. and Paramount; revitalizing content and talent; deepening distributor and advertiser partnerships to drive traditional revenue; increasing digital offerings, consumer products and live experiences; and optimizing and energizing the organization.[46][47][2][48][49][50] The strategy also included having Paramount Pictures develop films and franchises connected to Viacom television content; additionally, Spike TV would be rebranded as and converted to a broad-based general entertainment channel, the Paramount Network, in early 2018.[49][47][46][2][48][51]
By the fall of 2017 Bakish had restructured Viacom, replacing executives at nearly every company, including hiring
In 2018, Bakish's implementation of his five-point comprehensive strategy was credited with Viacom's much improved finances and improved company morale and focus.
In September 2018, due largely to his turnaround of Viacom, The Hollywood Reporter listed Bakish as #20 in its The Hollywood Reporter 100: The Most Powerful People in Entertainment 2018.[74]
Bakish retained the role of CEO when CBS Corporation and Viacom reunited under a single company to form Paramount Global (then known as ViacomCBS), which closed on December 4, 2019.[75]
In December 2023, Bakish and David Zaslav discussed the possibility of Paramount Global merging with Warner Bros. Discovery.[76] TD Cowen analyst, Doug Creutz, told The Hollywood Reporter: “We have a very hard time believing the current FTC/DOJ, which has been very aggressive in combating industry consolidation, would give this deal a pass.”[77] However, in February 2024, the discussion was abandoned.
Board memberships
Bakish has been on the board of directors of Paramount since its merger, and previously at
He is on the Board of Overseers at Columbia Business School,[6] and is also an active member of its Media & Technology Forum.[79] He is also on the Board of Visitors at Columbia University's School of Engineering and Applied Science.[80]
Bakish was previously chairman of the board of
Personal life
Bakish and his wife Dee live in New York and have two daughters.[7][6]
References
- ^ "ViacomCBS Chief Bob Bakish: 'We Are Hitting the Ground Running in 2020'". 17 December 2019. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f James, Meg. "Viacom CEO Bob Bakish pushes turnaround plan for Paramount and MTV: 'I look under the hood'". Los Angeles Times. February 9, 2017.
- ^ Tausner, Liz. "Viacom CEO Robert Bakish '81 To Keynote Commencement". Dwight-Englewood School. June 1, 2011.
- ^ a b "Robert M. Bakish: Dwight-Englewood School 1981 – Honored 2011". Dwight-Englewood School. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
- ^ "Distinguished Alumni Award Honorees". Dwight-Englewood School. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
- ^ a b c d "Robert Marc Bakish". Columbia Business School. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
- ^ a b Bakish, Robert. "Address by 2013 Class Day Speaker Robert M. Bakish, Viacom International Media Networks CEO". Columbia University School of Engineering and Applied Science. June 3, 2013.
- ^ a b c CBS Corporation. "Form 10-K Annual Report". U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. March 30, 1998.
- ^ "Exec Shuffle". Variety. October 21, 1999.
- ^ "Bob Bakish". Columbia University School of Engineering and Applied Science. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
- New York Times. July 30, 2004.
- ^ a b "Freston Takes Charge At Viacom". Hits. July 29, 2004.
- ^ Reuters. "NewsLine: The Week In Brief". Billboard. August 7, 2004. p. 7.
- ^ Levine, Greg. "Armstrong Wins; Susan Buffett Dies; Intel's Bryant Sees Cash". Forbes. July 30, 2004.
- ^ Associated Press. "Update 3: Freston Shakes Up Viacom Ranks". Forbes. July 30, 2004.
- ^ Brandle, Lars. "Bakish Moves To MTVNI". Billboard. January 27, 2007. p. 12.
- ^ Banham, Mark. "MTV Networks International appoints Bakish president". Campaign. January 5, 2007.
- ^ a b Dawtrey, Adam. "MTV taps int'l prexy". Variety. January 8, 2007.
- ^ "Cable Executive Roster". Backstage. June 2, 2006.
- ^ Hollywood Creative Directory, Volumes 59–61. 2007. p. 229.
- ^ Dawtrey, Adam. "Bakish given international role at MTV". Variety. January 5, 2007.
- ^ Avid. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
- ^ "Bakish rises at MTV Nets Int'l". The Hollywood Reporter. January 6, 2007
- ^ "MTV Int’l plotting second act". Variety. September 7, 2007.
- ^ a b c d e Szalai, Georg. "Viacom Names Bob Bakish Acting CEO". The Hollywood Reporter. October 31, 2016.
- ^ a b c "Viacom's Bob Bakish to speak at IGNITION". Business Insider. July 10, 2017.
- ^
- Laghate, Gaurav. "The big picture is that you can do business here: Robert M Bakish". Rediff. March 29, 2013.
- "It was a go big or go home play: Bob Bakish recalls Viacom18’s early days". Adgully. November 21, 2017.
- Mike, Farrell. "Cable: Act Global, Think Local". Multichannel News. August 3, 2009.
- Malhotra, Sarika. "People Business; Starring: Robert M. Bakish CEO, Viacom International Media Networks, Shailesh Rao, Vice President, International Operations, Twitter, Tom Mendoza, Vice Chairman, NetApp". Business Today. April 14, 2013.
- Laghate, Gaurav. "The big picture is that you can do business here: Robert M Bakish".
- ^ a b "Robert Bakish". FT Live. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
- ^ "Robert Bakish". Asia Pacific Pay-TV Operators Summit 2013. April 2013. p. 24.
- ^ Guider, Elizabeth. "Bill Roedy steps down as CEO of MTV Int'l". The Hollywood Reporter. September 23, 2010.
- ^ "Bill Roedy to leave MTV". Variety. September 22, 2010.
- ^ Dauman, Philippe. "Bill Roedy leaves Viacom". BillRoedy.com. January 2011.
- ^ a b Szalai, Georg. "Viacom Promotes Robert Bakish to CEO of All International Networks". The Hollywood Reporter. January 19, 2011.
- ^ "Robert Bakish Named President & CEO of Viacom International Media Networks". Deadline Hollywood. January 19, 2011.
- Screen Daily. October 8, 2012.
- ^ Crain's New York Business. December 12, 2016.
- ^ The Wrap. October 31, 2016.
- ^ Szalai, Georg. "Viacom to Name Bob Bakish Interim CEO". The Hollywood Reporter. October 27, 2016.
- ^ "Viacom unveils Play Plex mobile TV apps". DigitalTVEurope. September 8, 2015.
- ^ Szalai, Georg. "Viacom International Launches Direct-to-Consumer SVOD App BET Play". The Hollywood Reporter. June 22, 2016.
- ^ a b Lieberman, David. "Viacom Names Bob Bakish Acting CEO When Tom Dooley Steps Down". Deadline Hollywood. October 31, 2016.
- ^ a b James, Meg. "Viacom names Robert Bakish as acting CEO". Los Angeles Times. October 31, 2016.
- ^ a b Badkar, Mamta. "Viacom taps Bob Bakish for CEO". Financial Times. October 31, 2016.
- ^ Szalai, Georg. "Viacom Names Bob Bakish Permanent CEO". The Hollywood Reporter. December 12, 2016.
- ^ Steinberg, Brian. "At Viacom, Bob Bakish Enjoys Swift Rise". Variety. December 12, 2016.
- ^ The Wrap. February 9, 2017.
- ^ a b Szalai, Georg. "Viacom Unveils Focus on Flagship Brands, 'Deeper Integration' of Paramount Pictures". The Hollywood Reporter. February 9, 2017.
- ^ a b Lieberman, David. "Viacom CEO Vows To Make Company More Focused And Forward-Looking". Deadline Hollywood. February 9, 2017.
- ^ a b Littleton, Cynthia. "Viacom Sets Radical Revamp of Cable Operations, Adapting to Skinny-Bundle Era". Variety. February 9, 2017.
- ^
- Duberstein, Billy. "How CEO Bob Bakish Plans to Make Viacom Great Again". Motley Fool. March 21, 2017.
- Hagey, Keach. "Viacom to Narrow Focus to Six Key Cable-TV Channels". Wall Street Journal. February 8, 2017.
- Duberstein, Billy. "How CEO Bob Bakish Plans to Make Viacom Great Again".
- ^ Steinberg, Brian. "Viacom ‘Well Along’ in Process for New Leadership at Paramount". Variety. March 7, 2017.
- The Wrap. September 13, 2017.
- ^ Bond, Paul; Szalai, Georg. "How Viacom Is Emerging From Its Reorganization". The Hollywood Reporter. October 30, 2017.
- ^ Littleton, Cynthia. "Viacom CEO Talks Paramount Turnaround, TV Production Growth But Stays Mum on CBS Talks". Variety. April 25, 2018.
- ^ Cynthia Littleton. "Viacom One Year Later: What’s Better and What Still Needs Work as Possible CBS Reunion Looms". Variety. February 6, 2018.
- ^ a b Bloom, David. "Viacom Courts The Youth Vote With VidCon, WHOSAY". Forbes. June 20, 2018.
- ^ a b Lopez, Ricardo. "Viacom Acquiring VidCon". Variety. February 5, 2018.
- ^ Hills, Megan C. "Viacom Has Officially Acquired VidCon, A Global Online Video Convention Series". Forbes. February 8, 2018.
- ^ Spangler, Todd. "Viacom Acquires AwesomenessTV; CEO Jordan Levin to Depart". Variety. July 27, 2018.
- ^ Vlessing, Etan. "Viacom to Launch Streaming Service Later This Year, CEO Says". The Hollywood Reporter. February 28, 2018.
- ^ Seitz, Dan. "Viacom, Owner Of Comedy Central And Nickelodeon, Will Launch A Streaming Service This Fall". Uproxx. February 7, 2018.
- ^ McDonald, Andrew. "Viacom plans direct-to-consumer streaming service". TBIVision. March 1, 2018.
- ^ Steinberg, Brian. "Viacom Plots Launch of Streaming Service". Variety. February 28, 2018.
- ^ Berman, Jeff. "Viacom CEO: Company’s New Streaming Service to ‘Complement’ Existing OTT Services". Media & Entertainment Services Alliance. February 8, 2018.
- ^ Ellwanger, Steve. "Viacom Digital Studios Makes Digital Content NewFronts Debut". Beet.TV. May 1, 2018.
- ^ Jarvey, Natalie. "Viacom Unveils Digital Studio With Series Slate, VidCon Expansion". The Hollywood Reporter. April 30, 2018.
- ^ Patel, Sahil. "Big media is crashing the NewFronts". Digiday. April 30, 2018.
- ^ Weprin, Alex. "Viacom Formally Introduces Viacom Digital Studios At NewFront". MediaPost. April 30, 2018.
- ^ Chmielewski, Dawn C.; Hayes, Dade. "Viacom Digital Studios Unveils Digital Slate, Including Cooking in the Crib with Snooki". Deadline Hollywood. April 30, 2018.
- The Information. June 21, 2018.
- ^ Nicolaou, Anna. "Viacom strikes Nickelodeon deal with Netflix". Financial Times. September 18, 2018.
- ^ Chmielewski, Dawn C. "Nickelodeon To Produce Animated TV Show Pinky Malinky For Netflix". Deadline Hollywood. June 21, 2018.
- ^ Amidi, Amid. "As Part Of Major Strategic Shift At Viacom, Nick’s Pinky Malinky Will Debut On Netflix". Cartoon Brew. June 22, 2018.
- ^ "The Hollywood Reporter 100: The Most Powerful People in Entertainment 2018". The Hollywood Reporter. September 20, 2018.
- ^ "CBS and Viacom Reveal December Merger Date - Mark Your Calendars". November 25, 2019.
- ^ "Warner Bros. Discovery in talks to merge with Paramount". January 4, 2024.
- S2CID 54358198.
- ^ "Bakish, Robert". Reuters. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
- ^ "Spotlight On: Media and Technology". Columbia Business School. 2017.
- ^ "Board of Visitors". Columbia University School of Engineering and Applied Science. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
- ^ Bhushan, Nyay. Associated Press. "Viacom 18 becomes official". The Hollywood Reporter. November 8, 2007.
- ^ "Viacom + Network18 = Viacom 18 Media". Afaqs. November 8, 2007.
- Viacom 18. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
- ^ "Senior Management". Viacom. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
- Bloomberg. Retrieved September 14, 2018.
External links
- Official bio at ViacomCBS