Desai succeeds Patrick Tillieux, who is leaving for personal reasons DUBAI: Sangeeta Desai has been appointed as interim CEO of OSN, announced Faisal Al-Ayyar, chairman of the network. She replaces Patrick Tillieux, who is leaving the company for personal reasons. The company acknowledged Tillieux’s achievements in renewing OSN’s tech platform and thanked him for his contribution in a statement. Effective immediately, Desai, who served as a non-executive director on the board for over a year, will take the reins. “The board is delighted that Sangeeta has accepted the position of interim CEO, which will increase her involvement with OSN as she works towards the board’s vision for the company as a leading entertainment hub in the region,” said Al-Ayyar. “She brings with her a unique combination of strategic, operational, and financial expertise, having led global media businesses for over a decade, bolstered by an early career in private equity and investment banking,” he added. Desai started her career in investment banking at Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan before becoming a private equity investor at Apax Partners. Most recently, she was group COO and CEO of Emerging Markets at Fremantle. Before that, she served as COO of Hit Entertainment. Desai holds a Bachelor of Science in business administration from the Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley and an MBA from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. “For over 20 years, OSN has established itself as a household name and market leader in the entertainment sector. As a member of the board, I have been privileged to witness the new heights scaled by OSN in the last 12 months. It is an honor to be selected as interim CEO, and I look forward to working with the team, as well as continuing to strengthen OSN’s position as a premier entertainment provider through the implementation of leading technology, innovation and programming,” Desai said.