Robert Bakish

As President and Chief Executive Officer of Paramount, Bob Bakish oversaw one of the world’s leading producers of media and entertainment content, driven by a global portfolio of powerful consumer brands and flagship streaming platforms, including CBS, Showtime Networks, Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, BET, Paramount+ and Pluto TV, among others.

Bakish was responsible for growing the company’s creative assets, content capabilities and streaming services to serve important and diverse audiences, which consume over 30 billion hours of Paramount content globally across more than 180 countries.

Bakish’s leadership was integral to the successful merger of Viacom and CBS. He led efforts within the new company to transform and combine two great cultures, formalize a best-in-class leadership team and align the business around strategic growth priorities centered on streaming. Bakish also created a new, unified global streaming organization and strategy to maximize ViacomCBS content across pay, free and premium streaming services.

Prior to the merger, Bakish was President and CEO of Viacom since December 2016. He led the revitalization of Viacom’s core businesses, returning the company to growth, and extending its leadership across multiplatform entertainment content, next-generation distribution and advertising. Through a strategy to expand Viacom’s presence in digital and live experiences, Bakish also stewarded the key acquisitions of free streaming television service Pluto TV, Gen-Z focused brand Awesomeness and VidCon.

Bakish previously headed the company’s international business as President and CEO of Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) since 2007. Under his leadership, VIMN more than doubled revenues and broadened its portfolio with new pay-TV networks, including Spike and the Paramount Channel, as well as broadcast networks Channel 5 in the U.K., Telefe in Argentina and Colors in India. He also guided the company to launch Viacom Play Plex and other innovative mobile streaming offerings that introduced new young audiences to Viacom’s brands and IP.

Bakish joined Viacom in 1997, and held a series of senior corporate, sales and development positions at the company. He previously worked as a partner with Booz Allen in its Media & Entertainment practice.

Bakish has an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School and a B.S. in Operations Research from Columbia’s School of Engineering and Applied Science. He serves on the boards of both schools and is a Board Director of AVID Technologies, a NASDAQ-listed company.