New York-based Viacom Labs, launched by Viacom in May 2016, as an incubator for the future of fan experience and engagement, has appointed Kiel Berry as Co-Head/SVP. He joins Viacom Veteran Susan Claxton,who was recently promoted to SVP, at the head of the Division.
Most recently, Kiel Berry was head of Linkin Park’s Machine Shop Ventures, now on he will co-lead Viacom Labs with Viacom veteran Susan Claxton.
The division reports to Viacom Executive Vice Presidents Ross Martin and Kern Schireson.
Since its launch, just some months ago, Viacom Labs has quickly made an impact across the company’s portfolio through partnerships with Airbnb, GIPHY, real-time animation studio FlickerLab, and mobile-first publishing platform Citia.
“In its first five months, we’ve doubled the Labs team, tripled its slate of projects, and seen the real business impact this team is already having across the Viacom portfolio,” said Martin, EVP of Marketing Strategy & Engagement.“With their unique backgrounds in entertainment, technology and business innovation, we’re thrilled to have Kiel and Sue leading the charge.”
A Viacom veteran and a former investment banker
Susan Claxton has served as Viacom Labs’ executive producer since its launch. Claxton joined Viacom in 2010 as a Vice President at the company’s in-house creative consultancy Scratch. Previously, she was VP of Development & Production for Omnicom’s branded entertainment company, Full Circle Entertainment. She graduated from Yale University.
Berry helped launch Linkin Park’s Machine Shop Ventures, which has stakes in Lyft, Hyperloop One, and Blue Bottle Coffee, among many others and he keeps an advisory role there.
Berry started at Machine Shop Entertainment, aligning Linkin Park’s influence and interest across music, technology, content and design. Before that he worked at Creative Artists Agency in their Entertainment Marketing and International Business Development groups. Kiel Berry began his career working overseas and stateside as an investment banker at J.P. Morgan after graduating from University of Pennsylvania.
A division of Viacom
Viacom is home to premier global media brands that create television programs, motion pictures, short-form content, apps, games, consumer products, social media experiences, and other entertainment content for audiences in 180 countries.
Viacom’s media networks, including Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, MTV, VH1, Spike, BET, CMT, TV Land, Nick at Nite, Nick Jr., Channel 5 (UK), Logo, Nicktoons, TeenNick and Paramount Channel, reach over 3.8Bn cumulative television subscribers worldwide.
Paramount Pictures is a major global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment.
Image over the headline.- Kiel Berry and Susan Claxton, Co-Head/SVPs at Viacom Labs. (Photo: Business Wire)
