Blackbird appoints Youri Hazanov to the Board

Posted: 14/08/2024

14 August, London – Blackbird plc (AIM: BIRD), the developer and seller of the market leading cloud video platform, Blackbird, and developer of the multiplayer video editor in a browser, elevate.io, is pleased to announce that Youri Hazanov will join the Company’s Board on 15 August 2024 as a Non-Executive Director.

Youri Hazanov, a highly experienced executive in technology and in the video space, brings a wealth of expertise in developing and scaling international businesses, with a proven track record of revenue growth and extensive knowledge and skill in partnerships across both B2C and B2B sectors.

In his current role as General Manager and Chief Partnerships Officer and member of the executive team at Jellysmack, Youri is leading the company’s global expansion strategy. Jellysmack, a SoftBank backed unicorn, is recognised as a pioneer in the Creator economy, using a suite of tech tools and proprietary AI to edit, optimise and distribute content on behalf of creators. The Jellysmack Creator Program is known for supporting some of the world’s most talented creators such as PewDiePie and Mr Beast.

Prior to this role Youri spent 10 years at Google launching, developing and managing YouTube across markets in EMEA, CEE, Russia, Israel and the Middle East and leading the partnerships business & strategy with traditional media. The experience at both Google and Jellysmack equip Youri with a comprehensive understanding of the diverse business models that underpin success in the creator economy. At Google, he gained insight into how creators monetise their content through various streams, including ad revenue, sponsorships, and branded partnerships. His work provided him with a detailed perspective on content monetisation and revenue generation. At Jellysmack, he has applied a strong understanding of data analytics to optimize content distribution and drive growth, effectively bridging traditional media and new digital platforms.

Youri is a recognised leader and thinker at the boundary of online and traditional media worlds, with strong operational experience combined with a robust management track-record, a deep understanding of advanced analytics and keen strategic expertise. 

Fluent in five languages, Youri holds a Master’s degree in International Relations, as well as an MBA at the University of Geneva, and an executive certificate from Harvard Business School in the Business of Entertainment, Media and Sports (BEMS). A Swiss citizen, Youri also teaches Digital Marketing at the International University of Monaco.

Blackbird Chair, Anne de Kerckhove said: “We are delighted to welcome Youri to the board. Youri’s deep knowledge of our space and his strategic expertise in partnerships and international expansion will enable him to profoundly impact elevate.io’s growth and monetisation strategy. We will continue to strengthen the board with industry experts in the coming months.”

Blackbird CEO, Ian McDonough commented: “We are incredibly excited for Youri to join our team. Youri’s knowledge of the Creator Economy, his deep understanding of digital marketing, partnerships and content strategy combined with his strategic experience, make him an invaluable asset to the Board. His contribution will be instrumental as we look to accelerate growth and achieving our vision of making elevate.io the go to online video co-creation platform in this large and fast growing marketplace.”

Youri Hazanov said: “I am thrilled to join the board of Blackbird at such an exciting time for the Company. With elevate.io, we have a powerful opportunity to revolutionise content creation for professional teams and the rapidly expanding Creator Economy. I look forward to helping the Company scale internationally, leveraging our core technology to drive growth and innovation across new markets.”