Discovery Sweden CEO resigns, interim installed

Discovery Networks Sweden CEO Jonas Sjogren has resigned from his post after a decade of leading the business.

Discovery Networks Norway chief executive Harald Stromme will replace him in the interim, reporting to Discovery Networks Northern Europe COO and CFO Dominic Coles.

Sjogren (pictured) is credited with integrating Discovery’s channel portfolios together after Discovery bought the SBS Broadcasting business and, latterly, sports network Eurosport.

Prior to the establishment of Discovery Networks Sweden, which followed the US$1.7 billion acquisition of SBS Nordic, Sjogren led SBS’s Swedish arm from 2006 to 2013.

“After 10 years as the CEO of the business and under three different owners, it is time to explore new opportunities,” said Sjogren. “I am proud  of working with the business and together with my colleagues steering its growth to the prominent position it has today.”

Discovery Networks Sweden, part of the Discovery Networks International group, owns one of the territory’s leading commercial networks, Kanal 5.

The group also comprises Kanal 9, Kanal 11, Discovery Channel, TLC, Eurosport 1, Eurosport 2, Animal Planet, Discovery World, Discovery Science, Investigation Discovery, Discovery HD and Animal Planet HD.

“We are grateful to Jonas for his leadership of the Swedish business over the last decade,” said Coles. “He has created a significant portfolio of media brands led by Kanal 5, the second biggest commercial channel in Sweden and we wish him all the success in his future business endeavours.

Coles added Stromme would work closely with Discovery’s Swedish management team to “ensure we focus on opportunities that help us build additional scale and relevance amongst consumers and partners”.