ALEX OKOSI NAMED WEF 2013 YOUNG GLOBAL LEADER
Thursday, March 14, 2013Omoba
Alex Okosi, Senior Vice President & Managing Director
of African multimedia powerhouse Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN)
Africa (formerly MTV Networks Africa), has been named by the World
Economic Forum (WEF) as a 2013 Young Global Leader (YGL).
The Young Global Leader award is an honour bestowed
by the World Economic Forum each year to recognise the most distinguished
leaders under the age of 40, nominated from around the world.
A nomination is described by the WEF as
“…recognition of your record of professional accomplishments, your commitment
to society and your potential to contribute to shaping the future of the world
through your inspiring leadership”.
Okosi was named by the Selection Committee, chaired
by Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,
which screened thousands of potential young leaders from every region of the
world and from a myriad of disciplines and sectors.
Okosi will become an active member of The Forum of
Young Global Leaders, a global network of peers from diverse backgrounds and
fields, with the goal of significantly impacting world affairs and shaping the
global agenda. To achieve its mission, the FYGL acts as a platform for
young leaders to be both a voice for the future in global thought processes and
a catalyst for joint action when appropriate. Together, its community members
form a powerful international force for the global common good.
Commented Okosi, “I am very proud to have been
named by the World Economic Forum as a Young Global Leader and look forward to
working with my peers in the Forum of Young Global Leaders to ensure that
African affairs, issues and ideas are key priorities for action on the global
agenda.”
Okosi, a Nigerian, is based in Johannesburg where
he heads Viacom International Media Networks’ pan-African business
operations. He is responsible for managing the growth and development of
VIMN's iconic kids, youth, music, comedy and general entertainment brands on
the African continent, including MTV, MTV Base, VH1 Classic, BET International,
Nickelodeon and Comedy Central. The channels’ collective footprint reaches 52
territories in sub-Saharan Africa, serving over 100 million viewers via DTH,
DTT, CATV, IPTV and terrestrial branded block broadcast services, and three
dynamic online destinations (www.mtvbase.com, www.nick.com andwww.comedycentralafrica.com).
Okosi joined MTV Networks in 1998 and spent his first
two years with the MTV Integrated Marketing team in New York before moving to
Los Angeles to work within the MTV Networks Affiliate Sales & Marketing
division where he secured key distribution deals for MTV Network brands
including MTV2 and CMT among others. During his time with the Affiliate Sales
and Marketing team, Okosi was also pursuing his MBA at UCLA. In
2003, he joined the MTV Networks International Strategy and Business
Development division based in London to pursue his ambition for MTV in Africa.
Okosi developed the business plan for MTV Base, MTV’s first localised
television service for Africa and, in 2005, launched the channel as MTV
Networks’ 100th channel.
A staunch champion of African music, kids’ and
youth culture, Okosi is committed to creating programming, events and
initiatives that showcase African talent and creativity. In November
2008, he launched the first ever MTV Africa Music Awards (MAMA) in
Abuja, Nigeria, saluting and celebrating contemporary African music and
artists. A tireless supporter of initiatives that motivate, empower and educate
Africa’s youth, Okosi has been the driving force behind pro-social campaigns
that have impacted the social and cultural landscape of urban Africa. These
include Choose or Lose, (a youth voter mobilisation campaign – 2011
Nigerian elections); MTV Base Meets (an initiative in which global
influencers exchanged ideas with young Africans); MTV Making the Video (in
which international video directors trained African film-makers and elevated
the quality of music videos in Africa through skill transfer workshops); andShuga (an
award winning TV drama and multimedia campaign designed to change sexual
behaviour among young Kenyans).
Okosi attended St Michael’s College, Vermont, USA,
on a full basketball scholarship and graduated magna cum laude with a double
major in Business Administration and Economics.
0 comments