New Arqiva CEO to Unify Company’s Satellite Operations

[Satellite TODAY Insider 01-12-11] John Cresswell has been named Arqiva’s CEO, replacing Tom Bennie, who is stepping down after 32 years with the company, Arqiva announced Jan. 11. Cresswell, who previously served as U.K broadcaster ITV’s COO and interim CEO, will begin his role Jan. 17.
    Nick Thompson, managing director of Arqiva Broadcast and Media, told Satellite TODAY Insider that the structural changes taking place at Arqiva will have an impact its satellite business. “We brought the terrestrial broadcast and satellite broadcast businesses together at the beginning of October 2010, which made a lot of sense, as our broadcast customers face many of the same challenges whichever network they are on. It soon became clear that all of the terrestrial customers were also customers of our satellite business for playout services, and in many cases, we were dealing with the same individual within an organization in two different parts of the business. From the customer side, I think you will see a slightly more joined-up Arqiva. From Arqiva’s perspective, I hope we can get the right products in front of them,” he said.
    Arqiva completed an acquisition that consolidated its satellite business in 2007. Thompson said the leadership change would have happened sooner if not for obligations the company was held to until regulators cleared the deal. “We always knew that integrating the two would be a massive undertaking, but I think we have just about got to a place where we could take another look at it, and say this makes more sense. I think this was the right time to make the decision. I don’t think we have wasted opportunities by following the timetable we did,” Thompson said.

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