FIC promotes Platt to NGCI top job, Gandevia takes Asia

Fox International Channels has promoted its Asia Pacific boss Ward Platt to FIC COO and CEO of distributor National Geographic Channels International, with Zubin Gandevia also being elevated.

Platt will relocate to LA from his current base in Hong Kong, where he is president, Asia Pacific and Middle East, at the News Corp channels business. In the new role, he will work across all areas of FIC’s growth plans and oversee its international programming, marketing and syndication operations for NGCI.

He will continue to report into FIC president and CEO Hernan Lopez, who said: “I have been fortunate to work with Ward for the past 11 years. He has built our business in Asia from the ground up, turning it into a model in the region. I am delighted to have him step up to this new and expanded role.”

Meanwhile, FIC Asia COO Gandevia will partially replace Platt, taking on the new title of FIC Asia president. He will report into Platt, who joined FIC in 1999.