London, England / Washington, D.C. – National Geographic Ventures (NGV) announced the creation of an international group to support its existing divisions operating in international markets. The new National Geographic Ventures International (NGVI) will also create and manage new opportunities for content distribution as the media landscape develops and platforms continue to converge. NGVI will be headquartered in London under the leadership of Maurice van Sabben as president. He will report to Edward Prince, COO of Washington, D.C.-based NGV. NGVI will have a global remit outside of the United States, with key markets in Europe and Asia a primary focus, the company said in a press statement. NGV is the wholly owned, taxable subsidiary of National Geographic Society and is responsible for the creation and distribution of content across a range of platforms. Key business divisions within NGV include National Geographic Television (documentary production); National Geographic Television International (NGTI) (programme distribution); Digital Media, including Nationalgeographic.com; Home Entertainment; Music; and National Geographic Interactive Platforms, including the Mobile, Gaming, Interactive Publishing and Maps business groups. NGVI will work closely with divisional business heads, supporting their existing international activities as well as looking for new partnerships and commercial opportunities outside of the United States. “National Geographic’s international business has diversified significantly, from localised websites in Japan and Italy to wide distribution points for home entertainment and the creation of mobile apps and digital editions of National Geographic magazine,” said Prince. “The creation of NGVI is a new opportunity to maximise our potential in every market. Maurice is the ideal choice to lead this new operation; currently president of NGTI, our international TV distribution division, he has worked for a range of international platforms and content syndication businesses, with particular focus on European, Asian and Latin American markets. He also is multilingual and brings a collaborative and strategic approach to driving our multiplatform strategy forward.” Said van Sabben, “The creation of NGVI further promotes the vast range of content and options that National Geographic offers through its various business streams, and provides a natural ‘go to’ point and conduit for potential partners in the cross-platform space outside of the United States. National Geographic is already a trusted provider of top-quality factual content across the world; my job will be to work with our international teams to ensure that this content reaches all potential audiences and that we extract maximum value from our assets.”