MTV Adds to Executive Ranks

MTV continued to build its executive ranks under new president Sean Atkins Thursday with the announcement of several new hires and appointments.

The network has named former Major League Baseball chief marketing officer Jacqueline Parks as its executive vice president of marketing and creative, overseeing MTV’s marketing efforts on all platforms, according to network officials.

MTV has also hired former Lifetime head of non-fiction programming Eli Lerner to oversee MTV2 as executive vice president.

“Jacqueline is a bona fide game-changer whose transformational brand leadership and fan engagement bridged pro baseball’s storied past with its innovative future.  Her vision and experience will be invaluable as we reinvigorate MTV,” said Atkins, who came to MTV in September from Discovery Digital Networks.  “Eli is one of the sharpest, most versatile and well-respected creative executives in the business.  We’re thrilled to give him a homecoming to Viacom and a great canvas for his talents at MTV2.”

The network also appointed MTV and VH1 veteran Kristin Frank to Executive Vice President of Strategy, Revenue & Operations, and moved former Executive Vice President of Viacom Music & Entertainment Group Erik Flannigan, to MTV full in the newly created roll of Executive Vice President of Music/Events Strategy & Development. 

The moves follow MTV’s recent hires of Michael Klein as Executive Vice President of Original Content and Laurel Weir as Senior Vice President of Strategic Insights and Research.

R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.