Celestine Umeibe, currently AREWA24’s Deputy CEO and Chief Commercial Officer, will formally assume the role of Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Jacob Arback, who will move into the newly created role of Executive Vice Chairman. Mr. Umeibe will continue to oversee the company’s commercial sales operations.
According to the new CEO, Umeibe: “Jacob Arback had played a pivotal role in the remarkable success story of AREWA24 over the past decade. His unique yet inclusive leadership style enabled AREWA24 to navigate the business storms and challenges that often overwhelm start-ups, especially in this region. Mr. Arback’s elevation to the position of Executive Vice Chairman is well-deserved, and will no doubt continue to impact positively on the business.”
Outgoing CEO, Arback, had worked closely with Umeibe at AREWA24 since the network launched in 2014.
Arback stated that “There is nobody more qualified and capable to lead AREWA24’s second decade of growth and impact than Celestine,” says Arback. “His natural leadership abilities, business and branding acumen and deep knowledge of our media and entertainment industry made Celestine an easy choice for our Board of Directors. I’m very excited to watch how the next decade of creativity, innovation and growth plays out under his leadership. Since the very first days of AREWA24, Celestine has demonstrated a passionate commitment to the ‘why’ of AREWA24 - - ‘to reflect and celebrate pride in local culture and in the local language of Hausa.”
With Umeibe’s over 10 years at AREWA24, his previous senior executive experience in commercial, marketing, and business positions at both StarTimes and TVC, he brings a wealth of experience to AREWA24’s rapidly changing television and media landscape, along with a focused vision for the company’s future. Mr. Umeibe will be tasked with blending creative programming decisions with technological innovation and the growth of new revenue streams in order to accelerate AREWA24’s mission of becoming one of the top Pan African television, production and media companies on the Continent.
