Sean Cohan is President, International and Digital Media, A+E Networks. Cohan oversees a global portfolio comprised of A+E Networks’ rapid growth and transformation units and is a member of the A+E executive and senior leadership team.

Cohan has been named a Digital All Star by Broadcast & Cable, ranked in the Top Ten of CableFax’s Most Influential Minorities in Cable, and was called one of the Most Influential Blacks in Corporate America by Savoy Magazine. He has also been recognized as CableFax 100, Digital TV Europe’s Euro 50, and both a NAMIC Next Generation Leader and Luminary, and was honored withBroadcasting and Cable’s 2016 Diversity Leadership Award.

As head of A+E Networks’ International Division, Cohan oversees the company’s brands, services, and content outside the U.S. He manages staff and teams across 20+ cities. The Division’s activities include branded channels, content sales, production and digital media distribution. A+E Networks operates 77 different branded channels abroad and distributes a 16,000-hour library across more than 200 territories in 42 languages on a range of
platforms.

Under Cohan’s direction, A+E Networks has completed its global footprint; launched 58 international channels including the global rollouts of Lifetime, A&E, and Crime+Investigation; established new businesses in India, SE Asia, France, German-speaking Europe, Scandinavia, Benelux, Eastern Europe, Turkey, and Russia; and achieved a #1, 2, or 3 ranking in relevant category in virtually every market. Recently, Cohan oversaw the launch of a new business and History and Lifetime to twenty million households in Korea. Cohan also oversaw the rollout of a company’s first free-to-air (FTA) channel, BLAZE, in the UK to over twenty five million households.

Cohan has also built a top factual content sales organization, driven significant co-productions and acclaimed local versions of A+E shows. He also launched the largest global made-for-television movie distribution unit and a successful boutique drama distribution effort, with critically and popularly acclaimed events such as Roots, Unreal,
Six, and Knightfall.

As head of Digital Media, Cohan oversees all strategic, operational, editorial, social and digital distribution both in the United States and around the world. The division’s scope includes content production, apps, websites, social media, and licensing. His team is responsible for managing popular websites History.com and Biography.com which reach over thirty million visitors monthly; robust TV apps for Lifetime, A&E, and History; successful
History Vault™ andLifetime Movie Club™ direct-to-consumer offerings; strategic partnerships with A+E Networks’ SVOD, AVOD, and DTO partners; and digital extensions like the Webby-nominated This Day in History on Amazon Alexa.

In 2016, A+E Networks announced the launch of45 th & Dean, a multi-platform video storytelling hub which reports into Cohan. It is focused on creating original, digital-first video content supporting brands, shows, and partners. It has produced two of the top three most viewed shows for Snapchat and FB Watch platforms, dramatic growth in YouTube impressions, and significant social engagement gains. Cohan was formerly Executive Vice President, International; Senior Vice President, International; Vice President, International Business Development & Digital Media; and Director, International Business Development for A+E Networks. Previously, he held
positions at Primedia, Morgan Stanley, NBC and A.T. Kearney.

Cohan is a member of Boards of BANFF Media Festival (Director), The Opportunity Network (Treasurer), The Parrish Art Museum (Trustee), and 2btube (Director). A graduate of Harvard University, he also holds an MBA from Stanford University. Cohan lives in downtown New York, with his wife Jennifer, and daughter Makenna.

Speaking on: KICKOFF SESSION: Int'l Media Leaders - View from the Top