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ABN’s Key Personnel

ABN Africa:
• Duncan Irvine Chief Operating Officer
• Qondisa Ngwenya Director of Strategy
• Thorsten Stamer Director of Sales
• Rachel Lasebikan Director of Corporate Relations
• Alexandra Antunes Lusophone Africa Broadcaster Relations
• Christophe Lihua Bongozonga Francophone Africa Broadcaster Relations
• Guy Murray-Bruce Strategic Partner for Nigeria & Rest of West Africa

International Partners:
• Patrick Jucaud Industry Networking
• Mike Schlagman Programme Acquisitions Consultant
• Mike Gull Sales Consultant
• Kahlil Byrd Africa Learning Channel Consultant




ABN Sales Network

		Thorsten Stamer Sales Director Thorsten Stamer is ABN’s Sales Director for Africa and the Managing Director of ABN Southern Africa (Pty) Ltd. He is responsible for the sales of commercial television airtime across sub-Saharan Africa. Thorsten, a chartered accountant by training, has 17 years of sales experience in the African TV broadcast industry and has been involved in the packaging and selling of airtime around major events including: Gillette World sports, Africa Cup of Nations, Beijing Olympics, and 46664 Nelson Mandela Concert.
		Mike Gull International Sales Consultant Mike Gull has over 20 years’ experience in the UK television advertising market, having worked as Sales Controller of ITV breakfast contractor GMTV and his own company Media Icon. Mike is responsible for managing approaches and commitments to targeted international advertisers on behalf of ABN.
		Rachel Lasebikan Corporate Relations Director Rachel Lasebikan is responsible for the overall management of ABN’s corporate relations. Rachel’s specific focus in Africa is oversight of broadcaster relations in Anglophone Africa and the development of the company’s social enterprise projects. Rachel holds a Masters Degree in Design Studies and has spent the last seven years working with Africa.
		Alexandra Antunes Broadcaster Relations Director, Lusophone Africa Alexandra Antunes is responsible for broadcaster relations in Lusophone Africa. Alexandra has a professional background in commercial law and has extensive knowledge of Southern Africa’s television airtime sales environment. Based in Maputo, Mozambique, she gained her experience at Television Mozambique as the Channel’s Sales and Commercial Director.
		Christophe Lihue Bongozonga Francophone Africa Broadcaster Relations Christophe Bongozonga is responsible for broadcaster relations in Francophone Africa. A Chemical Engineer by profession, Christophe has been involved in Africa’s television industry on a continental basis as a presenter, sports analyst, producer and content developer since 1997. Christophe, originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo has resided in South Africa for the past 20 years.
		Guy Murray-Bruce Strategic Partner for Nigeria and West Africa Guy Murray Bruce, ABN’s partner in Nigeria, is President of Silverbird Entertainment (a subsidiary of the Silverbird Group). He is is leading executive within Nigeria’s commercial free-to-air television broadcasting industry. Through a carefully controlled process of growth, ABN's partnering relationship with the Silverbird Group is poised to create a television powerhouse for the West African region. His aim is to expand ABN’s audience reach within the region to 300 million viewers by 2012.

ABN Content Partners

		Patrick Jucaud Programme Syndication Partner Patrick Jucaud is the General Manager of Basic Lead/ DISCOP. Since 1991, the organization has facilitated business between international suppliers of television content, and programming, acquisitions, production and advertising executives operating in emerging marketplaces. The DISCOP organisation has established a partnering relationship with ABN to create DISCOP Africa (to be launched in 2009) and prior to that partnered with the US-based National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE). In partnership with ABN, Patrick will leading the DISCOP Africa annual market to bring together international suppliers of finished programs, scripted and unscripted formats, and packaged TV Channels, with TV stations, cable and satellite operators, DVD distributors, broadband networks, telcos and video-centred web portals.
		Mike Schlagman Programme Acquisitions Consultant Mike Schlagman specializes in the procurement of high quality programming libraries for distribution in emerging markets through Programs-4-Media Ltd. (and Programs4Africa Ltd.) the London-based company which he founded in 2002. In addition to programming, Mike has very wide experience in media sales and consultancy, having been a pioneer in the UK commercial radio industry. A high profile assignment promoting Direct Mail for the UK Post Office led to a long spell in international television, initially with ITV’s Super Channel and then with his own independent media sales organisations, New Media Sales and, latterly, Katz International.

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