ViacomCBS UK picks C4’s Rose as COO

ViacomCBS Networks UK has appointed a former Channel 4 and ITV exec as its chief operating officer.

Sarah Rose

Sarah Rose will have oversight of all business functions at the UK arm of the US channels operator, including operations, legal and business affairs, finance, HR, communications, research, broadcasting technology and Viacom International Studios UK.

Rose joins ViacomCBS from UK broadcaster Channel 4, where she was chief consumer and strategy officer, responsible for corporate strategy, consumer insight and data science.

Working alongside ViacomCBS Networks UK director of programmes Ben Frow and chief commercial officer Arran Tindall, Rose will also play an important role in strategic planning across the company’s portfolio of UK channels, which includes free-to-air network Channel 5 and pay TV brands MTV, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon.

Externally, Rose will be responsible for managing industry and regulatory relationships, including with UK media regulator Ofcom.

She will report to Maria Kyriacou, president of ViacomCBS Networks UK and Australia.

Rose originally joined C4 to launch its VoD service, All4. She went on to lead commercial and business development, before becoming director of consumer insight and then taking on her most recent role.

Rose started her career at ITV, where she progressed to general manager of ITV digital channels, responsible for ITV2, ITV3 and ITV4.

Kyriacou said: “Sarah has a wealth of expertise in broadcast media and proven experience in successfully driving companies forward. This is a key role in our UK senior leadership team, overseeing the entirety of our operations and ensuring we function at optimum efficiency.

“I’m delighted to welcome her on board at what is an exciting time for the business, as we continue to evolve our offering in a fast-moving media landscape.”