Paul Chesney has been appointed to the role of vice president, international operations at Universal Pictures International Entertainment (UPIE). He will start in his new role on March 2.

Chesney, who is based in London, will report to Eddie Cunningham, president of UPIE. He will be responsible for the efficiency, systems and planning of all aspects of UPIE's international home entertainment operations in regard to manufacturing, distribution and supply chain.

Chesney has spent 25 years in the home entertainment and film business. An experienced management executive, he joins UPIE from his most recent role as vice president, business development at Arts Alliance Media, where he was responsible for building global digital distribution partnerships across various platforms.

He also initiated a new revenue stream of 'alternative content' programming, which included negotiating agreements with the Royal Opera House, music and home entertainment labels and delivering non-traditional content to cinemas all over Europe.

Eddie Cunningham said 'It is a great pleasure to welcome such an impressive talent as Paul to the UPIE team. He will prove a valuable asset in our growth plans as we build on our high definition format success and progress towards a digital future.'