Jihee Nam has been named Vice President and General Manager for Nickelodeon Networks Australia and New Zealand.
The appointment was nnounced today by Ben Richardson, Sr. Vice President and General Manager, Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) Australia and New Zealand.
Ms. Nam replaces Mr. Richardson, who was promoted to his current position in February 2014. She will report to Mr. Richardson and will be based at Nickelodeon’s North Ryde headquarters when she commences on 16 June. Ms. Nam joins Nickelodeon Networks after serving as the Vice President / Head of Digital Media for Viacom International Media Networks Asia since 2009.
As Vice President and General Manager, Nam will be responsible for the day-to-day management of Nickelodeon’s brands in Australia and New Zealand, overseeing a diverse business consisting of 24-hour subscription television networks available in over 3.1 million households, digital platforms, live events, recreation destinations, consumer products, local production and programme sales.
“Jihee has been at the forefront of VIMN’s digital expansion across Asia, and I’m delighted to welcome her back to Australia to lead Nickelodeon’s business,” said Mr. Richardson. “She is a true trailblazer who knows the value of the Nickelodeon’s brand, and I’m sure she’ll take the business to new and exciting heights.”
Ms. Nam returns to Australia after a lengthy career in Asia having held positions with Viacom International Media Networks, CNET Networks, online gaming company CCR and Korean news platform, Hankook Ilbo. She initially joined VIMN in 2005 as the head of digital media in Korea, leading MTV and Nickelodeon websites to be some of the most trafficked within the organisation.
In 2009, she was promoted to Vice President / Head of Digital Media where she oversaw all of VIMN’s digital businesses in Japan, China, Korea and Southeast Asia. Under her leadership, the company launched historic content partnerships with CCTV in China, SBS in Korea and Gyao! in Japan. She was also responsible for the development of bespoke digital products in partnership with VIMN’s commercial partners throughout the region including StarHub, AirAsia, Sunway Resorts, Lenovo, WeChat, Baidu and many others.
Said Ms. Nam, “This is a tremendous opportunity to both leverage my experience abroad and return to Australia, and I’m very excited to work with the award-winning and well-regarded team at Nickelodeon.”
Ms. Nam was also a contributing writer to McGraw-Hill’s “Emerging Powerhouses: The Asian Internet Handbook, Episode IV” and a starting member of the Korea Digital Content Future Forum established by the Ministry of Information and Communication. Multilingual in Korean, Spanish and English and a native of Sydney, Ms. Nam is a graduate of Wesley College and holds a masters diploma in Psychology.
Established in 1995, Nickelodeon Australia and New Zealand has built a diverse business by putting kids first in everything it does. Thanks to the success of local productions including the multi-award winning “SLIMEFEST” and “Camp Orange” and global hits such as “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” and “SpongeBob SquarePants,” Nickelodeon has twice been named the ASTRA Channel of the Year.
In 2004, Nick Jr. was launched as the first 24-hour network specifically designed for pre-school audiences in Australia. Now in its 10th year, Nick Jr. Australia has become on of the most trusted and watched platforms for pre-schoolers with original productions including “Play Along with Sam” and “Didi and B” as well as global series such as “Dora the Explorer” and “Bubble Guppies.”
Nickelodeon Networks Australia is a joint venture between Viacom International Media Networks and Foxtel.