HBO has a new lineup of four top corporate officers today (June 5, 2007) to replace Chris Albrecht, the ceo who resigned last month. Bill Nelson heads the group as chairman/ceo. Richard Plepler, Eric Kessler and Hal Akselrad have been elevated to the new title of co-presidents, all with specific duties at the pay cable channel and all report to Nelson. Time Warner chairman/ceo Dick Parsons and president/coo Jeff Bewkes made the announcement.
Under the new structure, Akselrad will manage legal and business affairs, film acquisition and HBO's technology groups, plus to serve as HBO's General Counsel; Kessler will oversee the marketing and worldwide distribution of HBO networks and content; and Plepler will be responsible for HBO's programming and corporate communications.
Parsons said, "Bill Nelson is a superb executive with outstanding leadership skills, expertise and experience. Jeff Bewkes and I are very pleased that Bill, along with his extraordinary management team, will be leading HBO into the future. Today's appointments highlight the depth and strength of HBO's senior leadership. Each of these executives has been instrumental in HBO's success over the past 15 years. We're confident that, under their guidance, HBO's edge will get even sharper, fresher and more pronounced."
"I've worked with Bill, Hal, Eric and Richard for many years, and there's not a more skilled, cohesive or widely respected group of executives in the entertainment industry," said Bewkes. "They've helped build HBO into one of the world's most inventive and intelligent television companies. I'm looking forward to working with them to ensure that HBO continues to produce the kind of groundbreaking and award-winning entertainment that has become its hallmark."
Nelson has been coo for Home Box Office since 2002, responsible for overseeing domestic and international marketing and affiliate relations for the HBO and Cinemax networks; global home video distribution, content and licensing; film acquisitions; finance; legal; and human resources.
Nelson joined HBO in May 1984 as vp/assistant controller, responsible for overseeing the financial aspects of HBO's general management and international finance groups. The areas of sales and marketing were added in February 1985. In July 1985, he became vp/controller, accountable for all financial reporting and control activities at HBO, and was promoted to svp/cfo in September 1991. In April 1994, he was made evp, adding the areas of information technology, business affairs and technology operations to his responsibilities in February 2000. In March 2006, Nelson's responsibilities as coo were extended to include home video and international distribution and Hollywood studio film acquisitions.
Before HBO, Nelson worked for Time Inc. for five years as a director, external reporting and risk management and did external financial reporting to shareholders and compliance reporting to the Securities and Exchange Commission. From 1975 to 1979, he was an audit supervisor for Ernst & Young in New York, where he became a CPA.
Akselrad was general counsel/evp, legal, business affairs & film programming for Home Box Office, responsible for all legal aspects of HBO's operations, including the business affairs, production and administration of HBO's entire programming operation since October 2002. Recently, he added responsibility over the film programming area, which handles film acquisitions and negotiations of theatrical studio output deals for the network.
Akselrad joined HBO in June 1983 as associate counsel, litigation. He was promoted to counsel, litigation in September 1984 and became chief counsel, litigation a year later. In May 1986, he was named vp/chief counsel, litigation. He became svp/business affairs in March 1989 and was made evp/business affairs in April 1999.
Before HBO, he served for three years as a litigation associate for Cravath, Swaine & Moore in New York. Previously, he worked for two years as a law assistant for the Justices of the New York State Supreme Court's Appellate Division, Second Judicial Department, and he earlier worked for three years as a law clerk to the general counsel of the National Assoc. for the Advancement of Colored People in New York.
In January 2003, Kessler was named president, sales and marketing for Home Box Office, responsible for marketing and affiliate sales of the HBO and Cinemax pay television brands. He also oversaw the development and worldwide distribution of new media platforms, including video on demand and HBO Mobile.
Kessler spent the first eight years of his career in various brand management positions at The Gillette Co. in Boston and at Lever Brothers in New York. In July 1986, he joined HBO as a marketing manager in the home video division. From 1989 to 1995, Kessler was president of the division.
In March 1995, Kessler moved over to the pay television network where he was named svp, marketing for HBO, responsible for the advertising, on-air promotion, creative services, acquisition marketing, and website activity for the network. In April 1999, he was named evp.
Since July 2002, Plepler was evp, HBO, and an integral part of the senior management team of Home Box Office, involved with all creative aspects of the company, including serving as a member of HBO's program planning committee.
Plepler joined HBO in 1992 as svp, corporate communications, and was named evp, corporate communications, in 1997.
Prior to HBO, Plepler founded RLP Inc., his own consultancy specializing in strategic communication and production from 1985 to 1992. Before RLP, he was an aide to U.S. Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut.
Home Box Office is the premium television programming subsidiary of Time Warner Inc., providing two 24-hour pay television services -- HBO and Cinemax -- to more than 40 million U.S. subscribers. The services offer popular subscription video on demand products, HBO On Demand and Cinemax On Demand, as well as multiplex channels and HD feeds. Internationally the subscription video on demand products HBO On Demand and HBO Mobile, along with branded joint ventures, bring HBO services to about 50 countries. HBO programming is sold into more than 150 countries worldwide.
