CEO MONTHLY Ι GLOBAL CEO EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2024 39 Best Media Production CEO 2024 (South Africa): Trevor Bester BRICS Global Television Network, otherwise known as BGTN, has been developed as the first international multimedia brand with a focus on education in the ever-growing BRICS+ family of countries. A 24/7 channel covering everything from breaking news to economics, sport, art, culture, health, and entertainment, BGTN focuses on encouraging cooperation, partnerships, and shared awareness across the BRICS+ member states, which are currently Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the UAE. We catch up with the man at the helm, CEO Trevor Bester, for more. Although its focus may be on the BRICS+ countries, South Africa’s BGTN is an international network priding itself on covering interesting and important stories from all over the world. Determined to foster international engagement, this network’s mission is to promote and cultivate across the expanding community of diverse countries it is proud to represent. Showcasing their unique cultures, innovations, and the shared aspirations that ultimately tie them all together, BGTN’s programming is dynamic and insightful around the clock. Not only is BGTN renowned for the quality and diversity of its content, but it is also acclaimed for the excellent work it is doing supporting communities through its BGTN Cares programme. From sponsoring and developing local sport to running campaigns tackling huge issues such as human trafficking, this network is clearly committed to making a difference. This is something that can be seen further through its establishment of the Newshound Academy, through which it runs stellar journalistic programmes both online and in person that focus on preserving the future of this art. As Trevor himself tells us, “not only will BGTN continue to set the standard of world-class content, but our Newshound Academy will train media professionals around the world to rise to the challenges facing the industry.” With more than 15 years of firsthand experience in the media industry, as well as a wealth of previous roles that have seen him work in 53 African countries and live in almost 20 of them, Trevor knows more than a thing or two about how to drive success in Africa’s evolving media landscape. His past roles in the Middle East and South America also allow him to tap into expertise concerning other nations in the BRICS+ group, making Trevor the ideal person to steer BGTN through the complex global media industry that exists today. Exploring his duties in more detail, Trevor explains, “in my current role as CEO of BGTN, I am responsible for budgets, managing global staff, and setting the editorial direction of the channel. My in-depth understanding and knowledge of geo-politics and economics have helped in navigating the ever-changing political landscape of media.” It is no secret that this landscape is in somewhat of a crisis, given the rise in untrustworthy news and the growing backlash by readers to things they believe to be false or unverified. It is for this reason that, for Trevor, “we in the industry have a greater responsibility than ever to ensure that our content is factually correct and non-bias.” Making sure that this is the case across this sphere is not always easy, especially given the competition from the likes of social media, where many young people get their content, as well as the increased accessibility of AI, which is forever changing the industry but needs to be effectively managed so as to ensure its accuracy and consistency when making content. BGTN is more than doing its part to stand as a beacon of trust in this setting, and its threestage approach to managing new projects – which is based on the non-negotiables of planning, execution, and meeting deadlines – is continuing to stand Trevor and the BGTN team in good stead. Trevor’s signature approach to leadership is a big part of upholding this, and his method, which can be described as firm but fair, sees him delegate tasks but always remain close by for when his team need him. Leveraging the strengths of these timeless tactics, BGTN is on track to become a global leader in the media industry, and Trevor Bester remains dedicated to building this channel based on his ambitious vision of what it can continue to achieve. For example, this year alone has seen the network launch another two offerings, one of which covers 24-hour news and the other 24-hour sport. A network that is pushing the boundaries of content whilst simultaneously supporting the BRICS+ intergovernmental organisation and community initiatives throughout South Africa and beyond, it is our pleasure to recognise BGTN’s CEO with this welldeserved award. Contact: Trevor Bester Company: BGTN Web Address: https://bgtvnetwork.com Jul24185
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