In the latest in a series of executive hires, Vice Media has named former Rogers executive David Purdy its chief international growth officer.
Purdy, previously vice-president for content and video product management at Rogers Communications, will initially be responsible for driving Vice’s Canadian partnership with Rogers (which includes the upcoming specialty channel Viceland), eventually working to expand its distribution model to deliver programming to all screens.
Rogers said Purdy played a “key role” in the multiplatform partnership between the two media companies. He will work between Toronto and New York, developing the Canadian partnership and growing other global partnerships aimed at distributing Vice’s content across linear, mobile and over-the-top platforms.
He will initially be based out of the company’s new Toronto office, reporting to co-presidents Andrew Creighton and James Schwab and working alongside the company’s new Canadian managing director, Ryan Archibald.
At Rogers, Purdy was instrumental in launching several Canadian linear channels including Sportsnet. He also helped bring more than 100 international channels into the Canadian market, and was a key figure in launching new content products and services across mobile, digital and linear.
Purdy described Vice as a “world-class content creator” providing a unique voice for millennial audiences. “To be able to add to its growth story – across platforms and territories – is a tremendous opportunity,” he said.
The two companies announced a $100 million content partnership last year, and recently opened a new 30,000 square-foot studio facility in Toronto’s Liberty Village area.
Elsewhere, the company has entered into strategic partnerships with several media and technology companies – including HBO, Verizon and Spotify – aimed at distributing its content across a variety of platforms. The company said the partnerships captured “tens of millions” of new viewers, fuelling the company’s growth into one of the industry’s leading news and entertainment platforms.
