Alex Okosi is the Managing Director for YouTube Emerging Markets in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). In his role, Okosi is responsible for the platform’s growth in Russia, Africa, Middle East and Turkey. His responsibilities encompass driving strategies that maximize YouTube’s partnerships with creators, artists, gamers and media partners.

Prior to joining YouTube, Okosi was the Executive Vice President and Managing Director of ViacomCBS Networks Africa and BET International. In those roles, he was responsible for driving the development and growth of ViacomCBS Africa home to entertainment brands BET, Comedy Central, MTV, MTV Base, MTV Music, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr. and NickToons. He also led the International division of BET for ViacomCBS across Europe, Asia and Africa. With media and entertainment experience amassed across 3 continents over a 21-year span, Okosi has a broad background in Business Development, Corporate Strategy, Advertising Sales, Distribution, Digital Media and General Management.

Okosi’s association with ViacomCBS goes back to 1998 when he joined the Trade Marketing team in New York before moving to Los Angeles where he led distribution efforts for the network as part of the Affiliate Sales and Marketing team. In 2003, Okosi transferred to the international Strategy and Business Development team in London where he developed the business plan and launched MTV’s first localised channel in Africa, MTV Base, in 2005. Okosi would go on to spearhead the growth and development of the ViacomCBS business in Africa by launching additional channel brands tailored for the African market including MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, NickToons and BET.

Okosi’s mission is to develop engaging content and campaigns that not only entertain and showcase great creativity and talent, but also serve to socially empower audiences. Some of the key campaigns created by Okosi include the MTV Africa Music Awards, MTV Shuga, MTV Base Meets, Nickelodeon Genius, Comedy Central Africa International Festival, NickFest, BET Experience Africa and the BET Awards Best International categories. In his new role at YouTube, Okosi has worked to launch the Africa Day Benefit Concert in partnership with Idris Elba.

For his innovative business leadership, Okosi was recognized as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2013, an All Africa Business Leader Award Finalist in 2018 and an honorary Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN) in 2019. Okosi has also been featured as a thought-leader in key global media outlets including BBC, CNN and Forbes. Nigerian born, Okosi was educated in the US, graduating magna cum laude with a dual major in Business Administration and Economics from St Michael’s College in Vermont.