WarnerMedia has brought on board Johannes Larcher as the head of HBO Max International, who will join the company in August 2020. He will report to WarnerMedia International Networks president and WarnerMedia chief revenue officer Gerhard Zeiler.
In his new role, he will be responsible for the international rollout and management of WarnerMedia’s streaming service HBO Max, which launched successfully in the U.S. on 27 May, 2020. His first focus will be the launch in Latin America, slated in 2021.
Commenting on Larcher’s appointment, Zeiler said, “I got to know Larcher as a passionate entrepreneur. His leadership skills, together with his strong direct-to-consumer and digital experience, international business foundations and tech expertise, gives him the perfect background to drive the growth of HBO Max beyond the United States.”
For WarnerMedia’s direct-to-consumer product, HBO Max, Larcher will work closely with WarnerMedia Entertainment Networks Latin America president Whit Richardson, and WarnerMedia Entertainment Networks EMEA & APAC president Priya Dogra.
“Living at the crossroads of digital technology and content, I’m thrilled to help create unforgettable entertainment experiences for consumers in international markets and make HBO Max an indispensable streaming service around the world,” added Larcher.
Currently serving as MBC Group Digital managing director at the Middle East’s leading media company based in Dubai, he successfully transformed the group’s flagship digital product, Shahid VIP, into the world’s largest Arabic language video streaming service with over 1.4 million subscribers.
From 2016 to 2018, he was the co-Founder and CEO of SubVRsive in Austin, Texas, a WPP funded, Emmy-nominated Virtual and Augmented Reality studio. From 2009 to 2013, Larcher was the International SVP at Hulu where he led the launch and initial growth phase of Hulu Japan.
Prior to that, he was the president and CEO of online video education start-up, Academy123, which was sold to Discovery; and served as GM International for paid search pioneer Overture Services until its acquisition by Yahoo! in 2003.
Larcher started his career in 1995 at McKinsey in Los Angeles, where he served media, entertainment and technology clients. He holds a Master of Arts from the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, and a Master of Business Administration from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.