Big Moves: ATSC, DEPT, Microsoft, Snap Inc.

Former Prasar Bharati CEO, Shashi Shekhar Vempati, joins ATSC Board Business Advisory Council

India has taken another step toward becoming a global leader in broadcast technology with the appointment of Shashi Shekhar Vempati, former CEO of Prasar Bharati, to the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) Board Business Advisory Council.

ATSC, a global body focused on advancing broadcast standards, sees Vempati's inclusion as a strategic move to bring India's insights and technological prowess into the global conversation, particularly in the development and expansion of ATSC 3.0.

Vempati's role on the Business Advisory Council will involve guiding the intersection of business strategies and technical advancements. His extensive experience in media and technology positions him well to drive innovation and foster cross-sector partnerships, essential for the widespread adoption of ATSC 3.0. His appointment is also timely, as India explores Direct-to-mobile (D2M) broadcasting - powered by ATSC 3.0 - which promises unprecedented access to multimedia content and strategy services, even in remote regions.

With ATSC 3.0's seamless multimedia delivery framework, India's gigantic population can leverage this technology in a multitude of ways. Enhancing education, digital inclusion, and disaster management services, will also further align with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Digital India' vision.

DEPT appoints Andrew Dimitriou as global chief client & growth officer

Global digital agency DEPT has appointed industry leader Andrew Dimitriou as its global chief client & growth officer who also becomes a partner of the company. He will oversee the agency’s global growth, marketing, and client service teams, focusing on delivering pioneering customer experiences, campaigns, and solutions. He will join and become a member of the company’s executive team.

“Coming from a creative agency, I’m impressed by DEPT's ability to build long-term partnerships that unlock growth for some of the world’s most ambitious brands, like eBay, Google, and Netflix,” says Dimitriou.

He adds, “Our conversations have shown me the incredible potential of integrating tech and marketing, putting DEPT at the forefront of using data and AI in new, groundbreaking ways. This is where the industry's future is headed, and DEPT is leading the charge. I’m thrilled to contribute to this exciting growth journey.”

Dimitriou brings 25+ years of experience at global networks transforming global businesses with experience in North America, Latin America, Asia, and Europe. He has led client teams for major brands in industries like FMCG, healthCare, and technology. 

Dimi Albers, global CEO at DEPT, shares, “Andrew is a truly global leader, and he brings a deep understanding of the broadness of our services and a breadth of experience in delivering those services to clients at a global scale. On top of that, he is a charismatic, empathetic human who wants to build a culture of creativity and innovation, which is exactly what we’re all about here. I am super excited to get to work together.”

Carolina Dybeck Happe joins Microsoft as EVP and COO in a newly created role

Carolina Dybeck Happe, who led GE as SVP and CFO, has joined Microsoft as executive vice president and chief operations officer in a newly created role. Happe will leverage expertise in global transformation at scale, digitisation, and continued improvement to accelerate AI-based transformation across the company.

She will lead teams with engineering and operational capabilities to work across the businesses to improve security, quality, and delivery to customers by simplifying and improving processes and enhancing operational excellence. Happe will create value through continuous improvement by enabling the flywheel between customer needs, technology innovation, and business impact.

Happe will be a part of the senior leadership team and will report to Satya Nadella, chairman and chief executive officer, Microsoft.

Commenting on her appointment, Nadella states, "I’ve come to admire Carolina through her work as a global business leader, including most recently her role in leading GE’s historic turnaround. She is recognised for her ability to drive transformational change at scale while delivering improved customer experiences and faster time to value. Carolina will partner with the SLT to help us drive continuous business process improvement across all our organisations and accelerate our company-wide AI transformation, increasing value to customers and partners."

He further adds, "As part of this transition, the Commerce + Ecosystems organisation in Cloud + AI, the Microsoft Digital organization in Experiences + Devices, and the Microsoft Business Operations organisation in Finance will move to report to Carolina. These teams are doing mission-critical work for us with high ambition plans on how to empower our partners, customers, and employees with world-class technology and experiences."

Happe started her career at EF Education First and went on to work across Establish, ASSA ABLOY Group, and A.P. Moller.

Jim Lanzone joins Snap Inc. board of directors

Snap Inc. has added Jim Lanzone, the chief executive officer of Yahoo Inc., to the company's board of directors, effective September 12, 2024.

“We are excited to welcome Jim to our board of directors and benefit from his experience in technology and digital advertising,” comments Evan Spiegel, co-founder and CEO of Snap Inc. “We look forward to working with and learning from him as we continue to grow our business.”

“Jim’s strong technology background will be a key asset for Snap,” said Michael Lynton, Chairperson of the board of directors of Snap Inc. “We are glad to have him on the board and I look forward to beginning our work together.”

“Snap has long been a tech pioneer and innovator and I'm thrilled to join the board,” says Lanzone. “With significant long-term opportunity ahead, I’m eager to begin collaborating with Evan, Michael, and the other directors to grow its iconic business.”

Lanzone has been CEO and member of the board of directors of Yahoo Inc. since September 2021. Prior to that, Lanzone served as CEO of Tinder. Previously, he served as President and CEO of CBS Interactive for over 8 years, as well as becoming CBS Corporation’s first Chief Digital Officer. He has also previously served on the board of directors for GoPro, Inc. and Edmunds.com.