Okosi, Akintunde-Johnson and Others Mourn Former Paramount International CEO Raffaele Annecchino

Raffaele Annecchino, the former president and CEO of Paramount International, has died at 55. Colleagues remember a media executive whose influence rested not only on major international businesses, but also on the trust and personal warmth he showed to people around him.

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Raffaele was a deeply valued colleague and a dear friend.

Annecchino spent more than 25 years at Paramount and ViacomCBS. He began in a commercial role in Madrid and eventually led the company’s operations across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and Asia. During his time as CEO of Paramount International, he guided the shift from traditional broadcasting toward digital platforms.

That transition included the international rollout of Paramount+, the global expansion of Pluto TV and the creation of SkyShowtime, the joint venture with Comcast. Annecchino also developed long-term partnerships with Sky, Canal+, MultiChoice and Viaplay. Under his leadership, networks including MTV, Nickelodeon, BET and the UK’s Channel 5 grew, while production hubs expanded across Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America.

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He guided the EMEA business through an extraordinarily difficult period, particularly during COVID, with exemplary leadership, empathy and humanity.

His relationship with Africa stood out in tributes from former Nigerian colleagues. Alex Okosi, the former executive vice president of BET International and Paramount Africa, called him “a deeply valued colleague and a dear friend” who built trust, encouraged people to think bigger and made time to support them. Bada Akintunde-Johnson, a former Paramount Africa country manager in Nigeria, said Annecchino led the EMEA business through the difficult COVID period with “exemplary leadership, empathy and humanity.”

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Raffaele was one of those leaders whose presence was genuinely felt. He had a deep love for Africa and carried that with him.

Former Paramount Africa channels manager Solafunmi Oyeneye said his presence reached beyond senior management, describing a leader who had “a deep love for Africa.” After leaving Paramount, Annecchino founded Blue Ocean Media Partners, a consultancy focused on innovation, transformation and strategic growth. Former Paramount International inclusion executive Fathima Beckmann also remembered him as a leader who saw potential in people and supported their development.

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Raffaele had a profound impact on my career and on me personally. He saw potential in people and championed their growth.