AOL Taps Viacom’s Dermot McCormack as New President of Video

Exec replaces Ran Harnevo who’s pursuing other ventures.

AOL logo Dermot McCormack hire

Dermot McCormack was hired as AOL’s President of Video and Studios, the company announced on Tuesday. McCormack comes into this role after six years at Viacom where he ran the Music & Logo’s Connect Content Group.

McCormack will lead AOL On, 14 curated channels programmed with relevant video content, and BE On, a global branded content and entertainment platform, both part of AOL Platforms.

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He will also lead AOL Studios, overseeing the creation and distribution of original programming.

“Dermot is a game changing talent with experience exactly where we need it – building audiences through engaging programming – and is the person I expect to take AOL’s video efforts to the next level,” AOL CEO Tim Armstrong said.

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McCormack’s arrival will see the departure of Ran Harnevo who had been with AOL since the 2010 acquisition of 5min Media, the web-video startup he co-founded and helmed as CEO. Harnevo is leaving to pursue other ventures.

“It’s been an amazing eight years from the early days of the online video industry to where we are right now at AOL,” said Ran Harnevo. “Building 5min Media as a small start-up and then getting acquired four years later to keep going full speed and reach our vision, was the best experience in my professional life.”

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McCormack will be based in both New York City and Beverly Hills and will report to Armstrong, and Bob Lord, CEO of AOL Platforms.

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