The Banff World Media Festival (BANFF) has revealed its first keynote speaker for this year’s global conference and content development marketplace: George Cheeks, president and CEO of CBS, and CCO, news and sports, for Paramount+.

Cheeks will participate in an exclusive “fireside” conversation on June 12 as part of the festival’s Summit Series, which is a curated, future-focused lineup of keynote sessions with influential media leaders, according to a news release.

Last year’s Summit Series speakers included Participant CEO David Linde and Bela Bajaria, head of global TV for Netflix, who talked about the streamer’s commitment to Canada.

BANFF’s 44th edition will run in-person from June 11 to 14 at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel in Banff, Alta., with industry professionals from more than 45 countries participating. The festival will also feature panel discussions, celebrity master classes and networking opportunities.

BANFF also features the Rockies Gala and Rockie Awards International Program Competition, the BANFF Spark Accelerator for Women in the Business of Media, the Netflix-BANFF Diversity of Voices Initiative, and the Indigenous Screen Summit and Pitch Forum.

Kevin Beggs, chair of the board of directors for BANFF and chair and CCO of the Lionsgate Television Group, said in a statement that Cheeks will “share his views on the evolving industry” in his keynote.

As head of CBS, Cheeks oversees branded assets within Paramount Global, including the CBS Television Network along with CBS Entertainment, CBS News and CBS Sports, CBS Studios, CBS Stations, CBS Media Ventures and CBS-branded digital assets. He’s also responsible for BET, Paramount Television Studios and the company’s free-to-air networks in the U.K., Australia, Argentina and Chile.

As CCO for news and sports at Paramount+, he extends the content from CBS News and CBS Sports to the streaming service.

Cheeks previously spent more than seven years in senior executive positions at NBCUniversal, where he was most recently vice chairman, NBCUniversal Content Studios and in charge of late-night programming for NBC Entertainment. He’s also been co-chairman of NBC Entertainment and co-president, Universal Cable Productions and Wilshire Studios; president, late night-programming, NBC Entertainment; and president of business operations and late-night programming, NBC Entertainment.

Cheeks joined NBC in 2012 after serving in various roles at Viacom, most recently as EVP, business affairs and general counsel, for its music and entertainment groups, content distribution and marketing.

“In this liminal era of the entertainment industry, George Cheeks is paving an innovative path,” said a statement from Jenn Kuzmyk, executive director of BANFF and VP and publisher of Playback. “We’re honoured to welcome him to the festival and look forward to hearing his vision for the future of the business as well as insights on some of the industry’s big questions.”