Simon Pollock leaves AETN

Simon Pollock has left AETN International after nine years in charge of the company’s activity in the EMEA region, TBI Vision has learned. Pollock, who was vice president and managing director, Europe, left at the end of last year.

In his role he was in charge of territory management and business development in the EMEA region.

It is understood he took the decision to step down to pursue other challenges in the international TV industry although he has not officially started in a new role elsewhere as yet.

During his tenure AETN’s roster of international channels expanded rapidly. AETN has a policy of teaming with partners and launching international channels as joint ventures and as Pollock had, at various points, overseen the JVs with BSkyB in the UK and NBC in Germany among others.

He also previously had responsibility for Asia before recruiting a regional head, Alan Hodges, who then reported in to AETN’s corporate HQ in New York.

As well as AETN, Pollock has worked at a couple of Hollywood studios. He ran Sony’s London programme sales office and before that worked at Disney.

It was not immediately clear whether AETN had recruited a direct replacement.