YouTube Hires Consultant Martin Kon as VP of Strategy
Google’s YouTube tapped Martin Kon, who has worked as a tech, media, and telecoms consultant for more than two decades, as VP of strategy.
Kon, based at YouTube’s headquarters in San Bruno, Calif., reports to chief business officer Robert Kyncl. Kon will work with YouTube senior execs to help formulate the long-term vision of the video platform and to create and support strategies that “address challenges and opportunities across the company,” according to YouTube. Kon officially started at YouTube on Monday (June 24). He replaces Sri Krishnamachari, who transferred to YouTube’s business operations and strategy team last year.
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Kon comes to YouTube from Boston Consulting Group, where he was a senior partner and managing director in the firm’s Technology, Media & Telecoms practice, based in BCG’s New York City office.
Prior to joining BCG in 2015, Kon worked for over 18 years at consultancy Oliver Wyman (formerly Mercer Management Consulting), most recently as co-head of that firm’s global communications, media and technology practice. He also previously worked at Robert Bosch GmbH in Germany and Spain.
During his career as a consultant, Kon has advised a range of streaming platforms, media groups, film and TV studios/distributors, broadcast and cable TV networks, music labels, and telcos and cable companies. He also led MediaNYC2020, a four-year effort under former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg to enhance the city’s position as a hub for media and technology.
Kon (pronounced “con”) is a citizen of Canada, the U.K., and Germany, and a permanent resident of the U.S. At various times throughout his career, he has been based in London, Los Angeles, Munich, New York City and Toronto. Kon holds an undergraduate business degree from Montreal’s McGill University and an MBA from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
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