“Raffaele Annecchino was much more than a boss to me.” That was how Joana Carrion Boulos, a partner at his consultancy Blue Ocean, began her LinkedIn tribute to the media executive, who has died at 55.
Annecchino, the former president and CEO of Paramount International, died suddenly of acute meningitis over the weekend while in the Balearic Islands, according to his personal office. He had spent more than 25 years at Paramount and its predecessor companies, joining the Madrid office in a commercial role and climbing from there. Earlier in his career he worked for Turner Broadcasting System, on Cartoon Network and CNN.
Boulos wrote that he “was one of those rare people who knew how to lead without making you feel that you were being led. He trusted the people he worked with, gave them space, listened to their ideas and, above all, made them feel valued.”
From Madrid to a global portfolio
By the end, his remit covered Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and Asia. He took over as president and CEO of ViacomCBS Networks International in December 2020. Industry colleagues knew him as a sharp negotiator, and he worked closely with Sky, Canal+, MultiChoice, Viaplay, Corus, J:COM, Claro and Mediapro.
His time at the top coincided with the shift from traditional broadcasting to streaming. He led the international rollout of Paramount+, supported Pluto TV’s global expansion and was instrumental in creating SkyShowtime in 2022, the joint venture between Paramount and Comcast. His networks ranged from MTV, Nickelodeon and BET to Channel 5 in the U.K., Network 10 in Australia, Telefe in Argentina and Chilevisión in Chile. He also backed new production hubs across Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America, and sat on the boards of Viacom 18 India, SBS Media in South Korea and SkyShowtime.
Born in Ivrea, Italy, in 1971, he earned an MBA at IE Business School in Madrid and completed a media executive program at Harvard Business School and INSEAD in Fontainebleau, France.
Life after Paramount
He left Paramount in 2022 and set up Blue Ocean Media Partners, a global consultancy with offices in Madrid and Dubai, focused on innovation, transformation and growth. This year he also joined Mediapro Middle East to provide strategic advice and support.
Tributes came quickly. Former Paramount president and CEO Bob Bakish, who worked closely with him for years, wrote on social media: “Such sad news. Raffa was a force of nature. Taken way too young. He will be missed by many. May he rest in peace.”
Alex Okosi, a former managing director of Paramount Africa who now holds the same title at Google Africa, said in a statement: “He built lasting trust, inspired those around him to think bigger and always made time for people.” Michael Armstrong, a former Paramount executive, JioHotstar’s Amit Malhotra and Michelle Alberti also paid tribute.
Sources
- Raffaele Annecchino, Former CEO of Paramount International, Dies at 55
- Raffaele Annecchino Dies: Former Viacom & Paramount Int'l Boss Was 55
