CTAM Europe

Events / Eurosummit

Presenters

Nimrod Kovacs
Executive Chairman of UPC and chellomedia Central and Eastern Europe Group, Liberty Global, Inc.

As Executive Chairman of the Central and Eastern Europe Group for UPC and chellomedia, Nimrod is responsible for the cable, DTH satellite and TV channel operations in Hungary, Poland, The Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Romania. UPC and chellomedia are the main European subsidiaries of Liberty Global, Inc., the largest broadband cable operator outside of the U.S. in terms of subscribers.

Early Career
After escaping from Communist Hungary, Nimrod moved to the U.S. in 1972 where he settled in Colorado. He earned his Bachelors of Arts Degree from the University of Colorado in 1976 and a Masters Degree from the American Graduate School of International Management in 1977. Nimrod then worked in New York City for major advertising agencies such as DDB, Grey, and WRG with clients including American Airlines, Hershey Foods, Ralston, General Foods, Miles Laboratories (Alka Seltzer), and New York State (the "I Love New York/Made in New York" campaigns).

Programming and Cable
In 1982, Nimrod joined the cable industry, working for United Cable Television Corporation in Denver as Director of Marketing and later as VP of Marketing, Programming and Communications. These programming activities also included investments in Discovery Channel, QVC, E Entertainment, and other channels and related ventures. In 1987, Nimrod became involved in international cable by acquiring, in partnership with United Artists, the Croydon cable system in the United Kingdom which evolved into Telewest.

Between 1987 and 1989, Nimrod also managed United Artists Programming based in London. With the formation of United Artists Entertainment in 1989, Nimrod became responsible for strategic planning and reported directly to the CEO. At the same time, he became an investor/partner in the cable companies United International Holdings, Inc. (UIH) and UnitedGlobalcom (UGC) which evolved into Liberty Global, which is now UPC's parent company. Nimrod worked around the globe on cable and programming projects for UIH/UGC.

Business Leadership in Hungary and Central and Eastern Europe
After regime change in Hungary, in 1991 Nimrod returned home and established the Kabelkom group of companies in partnership with Time Warner and US West. Within a year, Kabelkom became the largest cable television company in Hungary. In 1998, the merger of Kabelkom and Kabeltel, the second largest Hungarian cable television group, resulted in the creation of UPC Magyarország.

Other rapid regional acquisitions have resulted in a more than 10-fold increase in the region's subscriber base, currently close to five million Revenue Generating Units (RGUs). By offering state-of-the-art triple play services, satellite TV and a variety of high-quality content, the Central and Eastern European region represents the fastest growing part of the UPC Broadband and chellomedia portfolios.

Having been associated with the cable industry since 2002, Nimrod has been involved in various industry associations such as the National Cable Television Association (NCTA), Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing (CTAM), European Cable Communications Association (ECCA), and the Cable TV Academy. Last year, Nimrod was awarded the Knighthood of Hungary by the President and Prime Minister of Hungary.

Nimrod enjoys wine, collecting art, developing spas, staying fit, and spending time with his three children and girlfriend.

About Liberty Global, Inc.
Liberty Global is the leading international cable operator offering advanced video, voice, and Internet-access services to connect its 15 million customers to the world of information, communications, and entertainment. The Company operates state-of-the-art broadband communications networks in 19 countries principally located in Europe, Japan, Chile, and Australia. Liberty Global’s operations also include significant media and programming businesses such as Jupiter TV in Japan and chellomedia in Europe.