Endemol announced the appointment of Arjen van Mierlo to the new role of chief executive officer of Asian operations, beginning early 2009. Based in Hong Kong, Mierlo will report to Marco Bassetti, chief operating officer of Endemol. Mierlo will oversee Endemol’s operations across all of Asia including China, India, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore and will be responsible for driving forward the group’s expansion throughout the region. This will include working closely with Endemol’s existing companies in India and South East Asia to further build local output including growth in scripted programming and branded entertainment. It will also see Endemol establishing new production bases across Asia, drawing from local talent in the region. As part of this, Mierlo will work alongside the group’s central team in developing licensing and distribution operations throughout Asia as well as pursuing partnerships and joint ventures with local and regional parties, including acquisition of third party IP. Since joining Endemol in 2000, Mierlo has held a number of senior management positions, most recently as head of international operations, responsible for the group’s global business development, corporate development and M&A activities.