KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysian broadcasting personality Datuk Ahmad Izham Omar has been appointed as Walt Disney Company Southeast Asia’s new executive director of content and creative for its streaming service Disney Plus.
US-based entertainment news journal Variety reported that Ahmad will be based in Singapore and report to Amit Malhotra, the regional lead, emerging markets, of The Walt Disney Company Asia Pacific.
“(Ahmad) joins the team at an important juncture when Disney Plus is expanding its footprint in Southeast Asia, and his strategic vision, breadth of experience and outstanding leadership will be key in steering Disney’s creative engine and delighting subscribers with the magic of our storytelling,” said Malhotra in a statement.
Ahmad will be responsible for developing and producing original programming as well as acquiring content, ensuring end-to-end title launch readiness, the company reportedly said. He will also oversee the production of surround content for major sports and general entertainment programs.
According to Variety, Disney Plus has only launched in Indonesia to date, and no date has been given for further regional rollout in Southeast Asia.
Prior to this, Ahmad was CEO of Primeworks Studio (PWS), a subsidiary of Media Prima Bhd, until Nov 13.
According to Berita Harian, he had served with Media Prima since the relaunch of 8TV in 2004, overseeing the introduction of popular programmes like Malaysian Idol, Shout! Awards and 8 E-News.
As PWS CEO, he served as executive producer of ‘Ejen Ali The Movie’, a Malaysian animation film. He was also executive producer and script writer for ‘Pulang’, a Netflix Original movie. – The Vibes, November 18, 2020
