APAC head of Discovery Networks leaves after ‘divergence’ on plans for the region

Arjan Hoekstra, the Asia Pacific president of Discovery Networks, has left the company after a year and a half in the top job, Mumbrella Asia has revealed.

He has been replaced in the interim by Discovery’s president for Latin America Henry Martinez. Hoekstra was brought in in September 2013 after a 14-year stint at Eurosport, latterly as managing director of Eurosport Asia Pacific.

He joined with a brief to generate new growth for the non-fiction broadcaster and moves on “due to a divergence of views about the strategic plan for the region,” according to a statement from the broadcaster shared with Mumbrella.

Discovery was looking at acquiring a majority stake in Network Ten, however reports this week suggest the US network has pulled out of the joint deal with Foxtel.