A+E Networks UK brings in RTL exec

A+E Networks UK has appointed an RTL Netherlands executive as its new chief operating officer and promoted Heather Jones to senior VP of content and creative.

Nicolas Eglau

In the newly created role, Nicolas Eglau will manage A+E Networks UK’s operating and commercial units in the country and other territories, including finance, legal, operations, strategy, distribution and ad sales.

Beginning on September 1, he also becomes general manager for the Nordics, Benelux and CEEMEA, overseeing the company’s offices in Copenhagen, Warsaw and Johannesburg. He was previously RTL Netherlands’ member of the executive board and MD of ventures for five years.

Jones’ expanded role will see her manage all creative units at A+E Networks UK, including programming, marketing and communications, creative and digital.

She will continue to be general manager for the UK, a role she assumed in February 2015.

Jones joined A+E Networks UK in 2013 after working as MD at North One and director of television at Viacom UK.

The pair will report to Dean Possenniskie, MD of EMEA for A+E Networks who added responsibility for the UK to his role last month following the departure of Tom Davidson.

A+E Networks UK, a joint venture between A+E Networks and Sky, currently operates 18 channels across the UK, Nordic, the Benelux, Central Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Heather Jones

Eglau, Jones and Karl Burnett, VP of human resources, comprise the A+E Networks UK leadership team reporting into Possenniskie.

The news comes on the heels of A+E Networks’ appointment of Amanda Hill as chief creative officer for international and Edward Sabin as MD of the Americas and head of commercial operations for international. Hill, Sabin and Possenniskie report to Sean Cohan, exec VP, International.

Alan Hodges, MD of Asia-Pacific, Christopher Barry, senior VP of international strategy and financial planning, and Joel Denton, MD of international content sales and partnerships, round out Cohan’s executive team.