BBC Studios appoints APAC execs

BBC Studios (BBCS) has appointed two general managers to lead its teams in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) and South and South-East Asia (S&SE Asia).

Fiona Lang

Fiona Lang, currently chief operating officer for ANZ, has been promoted to the new role of GM, ANZ, leading the Sydney-based content sales, branded services and commercial teams.

Lang has held the COO role since 2014 and joined BBCS in 2012 from private practice where she worked in mergers and acquisitions and general corporate across various industries.

Ryan Shiotani, currently acting senior VP, branded services, Asia, has been promoted to the role of senior VP and GM, S&SE Asia. He will be based in Singapore and lead the branded services, marketing, creative, content and affiliate sales teams in South-East Asia and India.

Shiotani joined BBCS in 2007 as director, programming, Asia, overseeing the editorial direction of BBCS’s branded services in Asia including programming, acquisitions, presentation planning and media planning. In August 2019, Shiotani became acting senior VP, branded services Asia, also leading the marketing, creative and insight teams locally.

Ryan Shiotani

Prior to joining BBCS, Shiotani worked across programming, acquisitions, content sales and production in Asia, Latin America, Europe and North America for Discovery Networks Latin America/Iberia, MTM Entertainment, TV Globo and Sesame Workshop.

Both roles report to Jon Penn, executive VP of BBCS Asia Pacific (APAC) as part of the newly formed APAC regional business incorporating Australia, New Zealand and Asia, which was announced in September 2019.

The APAC executive leadership team they will be joining includes: Kelvin Yau, senior VP and GM, Greater China; Geo Lee, senior VP and GM, North East Asia; Phil Hardman, senior VP commercial operations and strategy, Asia; Julia Nocciolino, senior VP commercial director, China. A new head of finance for ANZ is currently being recruited.

“As COO for ANZ, Fiona has clearly demonstrated her strategic and commercial ability, as well as an aptitude for project and team leadership. Ryan has successfully developed and led the branded services portfolio in Asia, recently stepping up as acting senior VP for branded services, and demonstrating his business leadership credentials,” said Penn.