Edward Borgerding has been named chief executive officer of The Abu Dhabi Media Company, the media and entertainment conglomerate based in the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The announcement was made by company chairman Mohamed Khalaf Al-Mazrouei.

Borgerding most recently had his own private equity firm in London and recently concluded the production of a 26-episode TV series with Marvel Entertainment.
Prior to that he was executive vice president of Walt Disney International in Hong Kong and senior vice president of Walt Disney International Television in Hong Kong and London.

In his new role, he takes responsibility brands including magazines Zahrat Al Khaleej, Majid and Al Super and newspaper Al Ittihad, together with a suite of TV and radio channels including Abu Dhabi TV and Emarat FM. He will also oversee the launch of Abu Dhabi's first English language newspaper next month.

At Disney International, Borgerding oversaw the operating units of the Walt Disney Company in the Asia Pacific region, including India and the Middle East from 1998 to 2000. This included television, home video, consumer products, digital media, theatrical distribution and Disney Channels. In 1995, he established the first Disney Channel outside the USA, in Taiwan. Two years later, he opened the Disney Channel in Dubai and in Australia.

'We believe Mr. Borgerding has the right balance of industry know-how, entrepreneurial spirit, management experience and understanding of the region,' says Mazrouei. 'The media industry in the Middle East and North Africa region - and particularly in the Gulf - is entering an exciting phase and we believe that with Edward Borgerding's leadership we can pioneer a new era of media.'

Last year Abu Dhabi Media Company formed a long-term strategic alliance with Warner Bros Entertainment and real estate developer ALDAR to create a theme park and hotel, jointly owned multiplex cinemas, a co-finance agreement for feature films and the development and publication of video games.