News

16 June 2017

Falcon Media House appoints Wall Street Tech Guru as Global Chief Strategy Officer to lead OTT industry revolution

London, 16 June 2017: Global digital media group Falcon Media House (LSE:FAL) has announced the appointment of Diane McGrath to the newly created position of Global Chief Strategy Officer.  The appointment will further strengthen the expertise and global relationships of the senior team, as the business embarks on an aggressive growth strategy to revolutionise the OTT industry.

Ms. McGrath has a wealth of corporate finance and business development experience predominantly in the media, technology and entertainment sectors and will be responsible for the strategic growth of Falcon Media House on a global level from New York City, U.S.  She is highly connected with Hollywood’s creative industries including music, comedy, drama and live events and will be working to develop partnerships in these areas to aggressively grow the business.

Most recently Ms. McGrath was Managing Director of Media and Technology Practice at J Streicher Co., a 105-year-old Wall Street firm in New York.  On a wider level, she has operated both independently and as part of management teams, generating over $1B for ventures and recognising and capitalising on cutting-edge media trends including social networking, gamification, virtual reality and responsive design. Ms. McGrath has worked with producer Tom DeSanto (X Men, Transformers), motion picture companies including Mirada Studios, production companies including David Zucker Entertainment, software companies supporting content and distribution, global social entertainment platforms including gaming company Wicked Fun, music labels and OTT companies.

Overseeing product development and revenue models for verticals, Ms. McGrath identifies opportunities to introduce new clients and markets, develop international partnerships, globalise brands and increase overall profitability ratios. Ms. McGrath is currently an active member of The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and is an adviser for SisterSMATR, a new organisation formed to leverage art and community, bridging the gender gap in science and technology.

Previously, Ms. McGrath was acting advisor for several interactive media companies. She also served as Director of World Wide Investor Relations for Asia Online, a pan-Asian web services company conducting business in 14 countries and 7 languages. Investors included CIBC, Softbank and CS First Boston in IPO filing.  Ms. McGrath was the “face to Wall Street,” raising $185M for this global company and integrating new business models, clients and strategic partners.  During her tenure, the company’s acquisitions and revenue growth led to its one-billion-dollar valuation ($1B) at the time of the NASDAQ registration filing for IPO.

Falcon Executive Chairman, Gert Rieder, commented, “With our global ambition to lead the evolution of our industry, we are delighted that Diane has joined us to grow our business and secure key strategic partners across the world.  She comes with a brilliant and highly successful track record of developing strategic alliances in the media and technology sector, building hugely successful commercial businesses and generating shareholder value.  We’re assembling a first-class team of experts from a wide range of backgrounds and skillsets, who recognise our potential across all divisions and in particular our technology and its ability to transform the delivery of OTT content.  We are all looking forward to achieving huge success with Diane as we build a global business for the benefit of all stakeholders.”

Diane McGrath, Chief Strategy Officer, Falcon Media House, said, “I’m thrilled to join a business with a game-changing and ambitious vision – to revolutionise the broadcast industry and end buffering. I’m joining an exceptional team with an excellent reputation for scaling emerging technologies and achieving commercial success, and am excited to work together to create an industry leader driving the global OTT market evolution.”