Liberty Global appoints UPC exec as new Virgin Media COO

Liberty Global has appointed the managing director of UPC Ireland, Dana Strong, as the next chief operating officer of Virgin Media. 

Strong is due to replace current Virgin Media COO Andrew Barron, who is leaving to “pursue new opportunities,” said Liberty. She is due to take up the post on July 1.

Mike Fries, President and CEO of Liberty Global, said: “Dana has over 20 years of experience in the media industry and has been an integral member of the Liberty Global family for 14 years. She has a proven track record of delivering profitable growth and customer service excellence to the operations she’s led in Australia

and Ireland.”

Strong will be replaced at UPC Ireland by Magnus Ternsjö, who is MD of Liberty Global’s Central European DTH satellite television business covering Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Romania. However she will remain chairman of UPC Ireland.

The announcement follows the recent appointment of UPC Netherlands MD, Robert Dunn, as Virgin Media’s next chief finance officer, and former News International chief executive Tom Mockridge as Virgin’s new CEO, who replace Eamonn O’Hare and Neil Berkett, respectively. Both will take up their roles after Liberty Completes its buyout of Virgin Media, which is due to happen by the end of this month.

Neil Berkett, the outgoing boss of Virgin Media, will become chair of publishing group Guardian Media Group when his tenure at the UK cable company ends later this month, it was announced yesterday.

GMG owns a range of UK media businesses. It is best known as the owner of loss-making UK quality newspaper The Guardian.