Doug Baker
Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer
Doug Baker is Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer for Discovery Networks International, a division of Discovery Communications, the #1 pay-TV programmer in the world.
With more than 20 years of domestic and international management experience, Baker is responsible for overseeing DNI Strategy and Research as well as all financial aspects of DNI Finance and Global Brand Solutions, and for leading the division's regional COO/CFOs in Northern Europe, Southern Europe, CEEMEA, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific and serve as a key strategic partner to international senior management across the business. Reporting to DNI President JB Perrette, and Discovery Communications CFO Andrew Warren, Baker splits his time between the company's global headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland and the London office in Chiswick Park.
As Chief Operating Officer, Baker is responsible for guiding the operational structure of Discovery's international business operations across over 220 countries and territories, as well as leading global implementation plans that influence a wide range of cross-functional teams. In addition, he works closely with the division's Programming, Ad and Affiliate Sales teams to help develop business strategy, share critical business information and best practices while supporting the growth of DNI's business.
As Chief Financial Officer for the past four years, Baker has overseen revenue, profit and margin growth from $450 million in 2009 to nearly $1 billion operating profits in 2013. Baker has also been a key strategic leader of the company's major M&A activities, including SBS Discovery Media in the Nordics-the largest acquisition in the company's history; a majority ownership stake in Eurosport International, the largest pan-regional sports business in Europe and Asia; a majority ownership of J:COM in Japan; full acquisitions of Switchover Media in Italy and Fatafeat in the Middle East, and the acquisition of UK production company betty.
Baker joined Discovery in 2005 as CFO for Discovery Commerce, where he led the company's efforts to evaluate and implement strategic alternatives for the division. He then assumed the role of CFO for Discovery Digital Media, Emerging Networks & Business Development, where he partnered with senior leadership to drive cohesion across multiple teams in order to establish financial, operating and strategic control functions for Discovery's Digital Media Division and Emerging Networks groups.
Prior to joining Discovery, Baker served in a variety of financial, operating and strategic roles with leading consumer brand Hallmark. His responsibilities included headquarter assignments in Hallmark International's Finance and Treasury functions as well as regional leadership roles as Hallmark UK's Finance & Information Technology Director.
Baker earned an MBA in Operations Management from the University of Missouri - Kansas City and Bachelor of Science in Finance from Miami University (Ohio). Baker's wife, Julie, is a senior vice president with Bank of America/Merrill Lynch. Together they have three college aged boys, and when not travelling internationally, enjoy flying their Piper Cherokee and boating.