Red Bee Media appoints Head of Strategic Development

Red Bee Media has appointed Linda Summers as its Head of Strategic Development, which is a new role within the Business Development department and responsible for shaping the strategic direction of the company.
Summers was formerly VP Group Strategy and Performance Management at O2.
The new position was created following the sale of Red Bee Media (then BBC Broadcast) to Macquarie Capital Alliance Group and Macquarie Bank in August last year and the later announcement of a new Business Development department headed by Commercial Director, John Pink.
“This new role is central to Red Bee Media’s growth plans. Linda’s significant experience in strategy, marketing and business development in the mobile industry makes her the ideal candidate for the position and I am delighted to welcome her to the team,” said Pink.
At O2 Summers was responsible for developing its mobile and web strategy with specific focus on content and rich media opportunities. Previously, she led the development of O2’s portfolio of data services as VP Product Portfolio Marketing. She has also worked in senior strategy roles for BT and Cellnet.
“Red Bee Media has already grown rapidly since it was sold by the BBC to the Macquarie Group last year and is moving into a number of exciting new markets. It has a unique mix of technical and creative expertise paired with audience understanding, which gives Red Bee Media many strong opportunities to develop further,” said Summers.
The appointment follows the announcement of Red Bee Media’s ‘white label’ search and navigation tool, Sherpa, at NAB in Las Vegas last month. Earlier in April at MIPTV in Cannes, Digital Hive was launched, which is a one stop shop for rights holders and platform owners that want to get content onto new platforms. This was closely followed with an agreement with Microsoft and Netgem to develop a hybrid HD set-top box and service that will be available through ISPs and UK retail outlets at the end of the summer. (CD)