Bob Bakish leads tributes after Paramount exec Raffaele Annecchino dies

Former Paramount chief exec Bob Bakish was among those paying tribute to Raffaele Annecchino, who has passed away aged 55.

Annecchino spent almost quarter of a century at Paramount and ViacomCBS, initially joining in a sales role before progressing to become chief exec of Paramount International.

He was instrumental in the expansion of AVOD service Pluto TV, as well as the creation and launch of Paramount+, and pan-European service SkyShowtime, which is a joint venture with Comcast.

The exec also oversaw what was then Channel 5 in the UK and Australia’s Network Ten, in addition to being on the board of Indian giant Viacom18.

Annecchino exited Paramount in 2022 and went on to launch consultancy outfit Blue Ocean Media Partners, which helped businesses define and build out strategy.

“Such sad news,” wrote Bakish on social media. “Raffa was a force of nature. Taken way too young. He will be missed by many. May he rest in peace.”

Joana Carrion Boulos, his partner at Blue Ocean, added: “Raffaele Annecchino was much more than a boss to me. He was one of those rare people who knew how to lead without making you feel that you were being led.

“He trusted the people he worked with, gave them space, listened to their ideas and, above all, made them feel valued.

“I feel incredibly fortunate to have worked with him and, even more, to have known him. Some bosses teach you how to do your job. The really exceptional ones teach you how you want to treat other people. Raffaele was one of those people. He will be deeply missed, both professionally and personally.”