MAM
CSI sports scores big with John Skipper on board
MUMBAI: CSI Sports kicks off a winning streak. CSI Sports is gearing up for a game-changing move with the appointment of renowned sports television executive John Skipper to its board of directors. Skipper, the former president of ESPN, co-chairman of Disney Media Networks, executive chairman of DAZN, and co-founder of Meadowlark Media, will also serve as senior executive advisor to co-founders Richard and Craig Miele. His decades of global experience promise to bring a fresh playbook to the sports, streaming, and media arena.
The announcement comes just ahead of Sportel, signalling CSI Sports’ ambition to level up its presence in the global sports content market. CSI Sports has also strengthened its executive team with HBO Sports veteran Mark Taffett as head of global live events, reality TV producer Brian Robinson as senior supervising producer of reality programming, and communications leader Chris DeBlasio of Showtime Networks as head of global communications.
The organisation continues to invest heavily in global content acquisitions as it gears up for strategic partnership launches in 2026. With this stellar lineup, CSI Sports is clearly playing to win and redefining the rules of engagement in sports entertainment.
MAM
Kate Rouch steps down as OpenAI Chief Marketing Officer
Marketing leader prioritises health after late-stage breast cancer diagnosis.
MUMBAI: When the toughest battle moves from the boardroom to the personal front, even the sharpest minds know it’s time to step back and focus on winning the most important fight of all. Kate Rouch, chief marketing officer at OpenAI, has announced she is stepping down from her role to focus on recovery following a diagnosis of late-stage breast cancer.
In a heartfelt LinkedIn post, Rouch revealed she was diagnosed around a year and a half ago, shortly after taking on the CMO position. Despite undergoing intensive treatment, she continued to lead the company’s marketing function through what she described as one of the most challenging periods of her career.
She explained that while she remained deeply committed to her role and team, she had reached a point where prioritising her health and recovery had become essential. Rouch called the decision difficult, noting it required acknowledging personal limits and shifting priorities. She reflected that the experience had reshaped her understanding of courage not always about pushing harder, but sometimes about stepping back to focus on long-term wellbeing, family and sustainability.
Rouch expressed gratitude to her team and colleagues for their support. She mentioned that Gary will step in to help lead the function and recruit a successor. She plans to support the transition and remains open to returning in a different capacity in the future, depending on her health.
Prior to joining OpenAI, Rouch served as the first chief marketing officer at Coinbase and spent over a decade at Meta, where she was vice president and global head of brand and product marketing.
She also thanked well-wishers for their messages and shared that stories from fellow survivors had a meaningful impact during her treatment journey.
In the high-stakes world of tech marketing, Kate Rouch has always been known for her strategic brilliance. Now, she is showing a different kind of strength, one that reminds us that even the most driven leaders sometimes need to pause, heal, and come back stronger when the time is right. Wishing her a full and steady recovery.
