YouTube appoints Nigeria’s Alex Okosi as Managing Director

On Tuesday, American video-sharing platform headquartered in San Bruno, California, YouTube announced the appointment of Alex Okosi as its Managing Director of Emerging Markets in Europe, Middle East and Africa, with effect from April 2020.

Head of YouTube EMEA, Cécile Frot-Coutaz, said, Alex “brings a wealth of experience in the content industries and has a track record for building businesses and audiences in established and new markets. Alex will be leading our existing teams in Russia, Sub Saharan Africa, Turkey, the Middle East and North Africa to drive further expansion in these key markets.”

Also, Alex enthused, “YouTube is a game-changing platform that plays an increasingly important role in our lives today through the dynamic content and innovation that it delivers. I am very excited to be joining Cecile’s leadership team to continue empowering creators and elevating value for viewers and partners across the region.” YouTube said Alex’s appointment will further fuel the development of its creative ecosystem in the EMEA region.

Until his recent appointment by the Google owned video giant, Alex was the Executive Vice President and Managing Director of Viacom/CBS Networks Africa & BET International. Okosi took over leadership of BET International in 2017 and has continued to advance the value of the brand internationally delivering double-digit distribution growth and improving profitability and margins.  Under Okosi’s leadership, BET International elevated its presence at the BET Awards by incorporating the “Best International Act” award into the live broadcast, which simulcasted live in Africa for the first time. In addition, BET International expanded its presence during the BET “Hip Hop Awards” by launching a new category to honor artists from around the world.