Ascent Media Announces Management Changes

Ascent Media, a leading provider of creative, technical and distribution services to the media and entertainment industries, has announced two changes to its London-based sales and business development teams.
It has appointed Chris Kidd to the position of VP Business Development EMEA and promoted David Barrett, who has been with Ascent for over thirteen years, to Senior VP of its UK Sales organisation.
Barrett started with Ascent as Head of Operations at Todd AO, his success in London led to a transfer to the US where he remained for five years with Todd AO Video Services in LA. He returned to the UK in 2006 as head of Ascent Media Services and was a central figure in the transformation of Ascent UK creative companies into two entities - Ascent142 and Soho Film Lab, in July of last year.
In his new role, Barrett will oversee the amalgamation of the Networks and Creative Sales teams.
Barrett commented: "Clients demand a much broader range of services and products than ever before. At Ascent Media we have everything in place, the technology, infrastructure and above all the talent to help our clients at every stage from creation to delivery. By working closer with our networks division we hope to drive efficiencies and added value for all of our clients, especially in the area of asset management and digital delivery. We have developed some fantastic product offerings to help clients repurpose and sell their content and the amalgamation of the Sales groups will support this strategy."
With more than twenty five years experience in the media industry, Chris Kidd joins Ascent Media from Hewlett-Packard where he has held a variety of positions over the past seven years, lastly as Director, Client Engagements EMEA.
In previous roles, he delivered strategic media solutions and thought leadership for clients including Reuters, BBC, BT, ITV and national newspaper groups.
An accomplished Business Development professional and Sales Director, he has previously worked with Cap Gemini, Apple, Atex and Net-Linx, engaging with clients to deliver transformational enterprise solutions.
In his new role with Ascent Media, Kidd will focus on developing a small number of strategic partners and relationships that will raise the media group's business profile, taking Ascent Media into new, progressively larger territories, which will garner scalable opportunities across EMEA.
Kidd said: "We are looking to develop new and emerging markets with channel and business relationships that will help define the future and scale of Ascent Media's business, building on our extensive media heritage and portfolio of existing services.
"I am looking forward to being part of an organisation with incredible drive and the potential to help change the face of how media is managed and consumed in the new digital economy."
(KMcA/BMcC)