Blue Ant Media is ramping up its investment in Asia Pacific, combining the company’s channel distribution and content sales in the region into one unit that will be run by a newly appointed managing director operating out of a newly established office.

The international producer and distributor announced on Thursday (Sept. 14) that Jon Penn has been appointed managing director of Asia Pacific, leading the company’s activities in the region from Blue Ant’s new operations hub in Sydney, Australia.

As MD for the region, Penn (pictured) will oversee Blue Ant’s content sales and expand its distribution of global branded channels, including Love Nature and Blue Ant’s portfolio of FAST channels. Leading teams in Sydney and Singapore, he will also support the development of Blue Ant’s production business strategy in Australia while advising on regional coproduction opportunities. Penn will report to Carlyn Staudt, head of commissioning, global media and general manager of Love Nature, and Mark Bishop, Blue Ant Studios co-president.

Previously, Penn worked at Fremantle for 11 years, spending four years as CEO of Fremantle International Asia Pacific. He also spent 10 years at BBC Studios, including three years as EVP Asia Pacific for global distribution, in which capacity he oversaw all regional distribution including content sales, branded services and ancillary business lines. He also helped establish BBC Studios’ production presence in Australia, and oversaw the launch of BritBox Australia.

Most recently, Penn was a partner with ACT Media Ventures and operated his own advisory business, working with local and international media clients on business growth strategy. Blue Ant credits Penn’s advisory and agency work as instrumental to its Australian expansion, which included the successful launch of the Love Nature pay TV channel on Fetch TV, as well as FAST channels HauntTV and Nature Time on Ten Play.

In addition to Penn’s appointment, Blue Ant has named Jason Soh as VP of distribution for Asia. Working out of Singapore and reporting to Penn, Soh will be tasked with content sales and leading the distribution of Love Nature, while also developing Blue Ant’s FAST channel portfolio in Asia. He arrives at Blue Ant after working as global channels and distribution director of APAC for WildBrain, and he has also held senior business roles at WarnerMedia, HBO, Disney and Nickelodeon.

Blue Ant’s Asia Pacific team also includes senior director of international sales and acquisitions Nick Solowski, who will now report to Penn on business in Asia Pacific markets like China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. Also joining Penn’s team is Morgan Jacobson, who will serve as senior specialist of programming and affiliate marketing for APAC.

“Jon is an exceptional commercial leader, and his high-level experience in growing revenue streams and market share will be invaluable as we broaden Blue Ant Media’s business in this key region,” Staudt said in a statement on the hirings.

This story originally appeared in Realscreen

Image courtesy of Blue Ant Media