London – Genius Digital announced that it has hired Giles Cottle as Director of Consumer Insight Products. Effective immediately, Freesat’s former Head of Strategy will take overall responsibility for Genius Digital’s product portfolio, including strategic direction and development, positioning, pricing and business development.

Giles Cottle

“It is a really exciting time to have Giles on board – especially as broadcasters and operators around the world increasingly recognise the importance of data and the role it is playing in creating profitable TV services,” said Jonathan Sykes, Chairman, Genius Digital. “As we continue to grow and expand, Giles’ knowledge and expertise will play a crucial role in helping operators extract real value from their data so that they build more compelling, successful services.”

With 10 years’ experience in the digital and broadcast industries, Cottle brings a wealth of knowledge to his new role at Genius Digital. During his time at Freesat, Giles was responsible for coordinating and shaping the development of the company’s business and finance strategy. Prior to this, he was a Principal Analyst at Informa, leading coverage of OTT, broadband content and connected devices. He also authored a number of market-leading reports and consulted for some of the world’s largest media and technology firms.

“In an era when viewers have more choice than ever before, it is fundamental that TV operators understand their audience- and what Genius Digital is doing in this space is really exciting,” said Cottle. “Not only is the Genius Digital offering helping companies to gain a deep understanding of viewer activity, but they can also help companies to develop and evolve their services to meet audience expectations. I look forward to joining the team and showing operators how they can make the most of their data.”

Along with managing the Genius Digital product portfolio, Cottle will be responsible for helping customers with post-sales strategy and analysis support.