UPC chief takes on Virgin role

Virgin Media has appointed UPC Ireland’s MD as its new chief operating officer, as the UK cable company’s acquisition by Liberty Global nears completion.

Dana Strong’s appointment came as shareholders of US cable group Liberty approved the takeover of Virgin Media in a deal worth £15bn (US$23.3bn). The acquisition is set to be completed by the end of the week.

Strong will remain chairman of the Irish broadband, communications and entertainment firm, where she has worked for two years.

She will report to Virgin Media’s new CEO Tom Mockridge, formerly of BSkyB UK, and succeeds Andrew Barron, who is leaving to pursue new opportunities.

Mike Fries, president and CEO of Liberty Global, said: “Dana has over 20 years of experience in the media industry and has been an integral member of the Liberty Global family for 14 years.

“She has a proven track record of delivering profitable growth and customer service excellence to the operations she has led in Australia and Ireland.”

Magnus Ternsjo will take over Strong’s role at UPC Ireland, following a four-year spell as MD of Liberty Global’s Central European DTH satellite TV business.

The changes come after Virgin Media announced its cloud-based entertainment service has added a further 11 live channels, including History, Bio and MTV.

Virgin TV Anywhere, which allows customers to watch programmes on computers, tablets and smartphones, now includes channels from UK network ITV, as well as content from Viacom International Media Networks and A&E Networks UK.