Rakuten Viki, the world’s leading, fan-powered video platform and community for global TV – including premium entertainment and culture from Asia – announced today that Sam Wu has been promoted to Chief Executive Officer. Wu, who was most recently the company’s Senior Vice President of Finance, will take over the position from Interim CEO, Masaya Ueno. Ueno will assume a new role leading Rakuten’s Global Media Business Group.
Wu joined Viki in 2012 and has over a decade of experience in building and leading high growth media and technology businesses. He played a key role in leading the acquisition of then Viki, Inc. by Rakuten in 2013, and has since overseen all aspects of finance, legal, business operations, and sales functions.
Wu commented: “I am excited for the opportunity to lead Rakuten Viki, with a renewed focus on delivering innovative product features, an unmatched user experience and a diverse programming line-up to our growing, global community. Over the past six years, I have had the pleasure of working closely with this highly-talented team, and I am enthusiastic for Rakuten Viki’s future as we continue to invest in our award-winning apps and expand our reach to fans around the world.”
Commenting on the appointment, President of Rakuten's Media and Sports Company, Makoto Arima, added, "We are excited to see Sam take on this new position. His experience at Rakuten Viki has laid the groundwork for what will certainly be a successful transition into the new CEO role. His intimate understanding of the business today, combined with his insights into the market as a whole, ideally position him to lead the team toward future growth."
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