Jerrell Jimerson appointed Head of Product & Experience at Bell Media
Bell Media has named Jerrell Jimerson as Senior Vice President and Head of Product & Experience.
Jimerson takes on a newly established executive role, with responsibility for overseeing product vision, strategy, and design across Bell Media's full suite of digital platforms. His role covers the company's entertainment, sports, and news products, including well-known brands such as Crave, CTV News, TSN, TSN+, Noovo, RDS, and iHeartRadio.
Jimerson's appointment brings more than 30 years of experience in product, content, and consumer strategy to Bell Media. His previous roles have placed him at the centre of developments in streaming and direct-to-consumer digital initiatives.
Before joining Bell Media, Jimerson was the Founder and Principal of MediaTech Insights, an advisory business working with Fortune 500 companies, global media enterprises, and emerging high-growth start-ups. He previously served as Chief Product Officer within Disney's direct-to-consumer division, where he played a leading role in launching Disney+. He also managed product growth, design, and marketing for a portfolio including Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+, Star, and Star+.
Prior to his time at Disney, Jimerson worked as Chief Product Officer at Bamtech and held the senior vice president position of Products & Design at iHeartMedia, where he contributed to the transition from Clear Channel to iHeartRadio. Other executive roles include posts at PayPal, Yahoo, and Netscape.
"Jerrell is an innovative leader with a proven track record of launching and scaling direct-to-consumer streaming products globally," said Sean Cohan, President, Bell Media. "He will be a tremendous asset as we continue our transformation to digital media and content powerhouse. I look forward to partnering with him as we expand Crave and accelerate the growth of our digital portfolio."
Product and platform focus
In his new role, Jimerson will lead product teams developing digital consumer experiences across Bell Media's streaming, sports, and news properties. The company's assets include Crave, the Canadian streaming service, the nationwide CTV News operation, sports networks TSN and RDS, the French-language network Noovo, and the national radio and podcast platform iHeartRadio Canada. These platforms are supported by a group of production, advertising, and analytics resources managed by Bell Media.
The appointment comes as Bell Media continues work on its digital transformation, aiming to expand the reach of its content and services for Canadian consumers. The company also offers advertising, analytics, and omnichannel marketing tools through its Bell Marketing Platform, which includes technologies such as Bell Audience Manager, Strategic Audience Management (SAM), and Bell Attribution Insights.
"Bell Media has some of the most iconic brands in Canada, and the opportunity to help shape their next chapter is incredibly exciting," said Jimerson. "I'm looking forward to working with the team to build innovative, consumer-first experiences and accelerate Bell's transformation into a truly world-class digital media company."
Jimerson's background also extends to advisory and board roles in innovation and social impact, through his involvement with non-profit and pre-IPO company boards, start-up advisement, and participation in community and fundraising initiatives.
The company's emphasis on growing its digital footprint is expected to influence the next phase of development for Bell Media's consumer-facing brands and technology investments.