YouTube today announced the hire of Alex Okosi as managing director of emerging markets in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

The video-sharing platform says Okosi will be responsible for running YouTube's business and partnership teams across emerging markets in EMEA including Russia, the Middle East, North and Sub-Saharan Africa.

The appointment comes barely a week after YouTube parent Google named Alistair Mokoena its SA country director.

Okosi will report to the head of YouTube EMEA, Cécile Frot-Coutaz. Based in the London office, Okosi will start in April 2020.

"YouTube is a game-changing platform that plays an increasingly important role in our lives today through the dynamic content and innovation that it delivers," says Okosi. "I am very excited to be joining Cecile's leadership team to continue empowering creators and elevating value for viewers and partners across the region."

Commenting on the hire, Frot-Coutaz says: "I look forward to welcoming Alex to our YouTube EMEA leadership team.

"He brings a wealth of experience in the content industries and has a track record for building businesses and audiences in established and new markets. Alex will be leading our existing teams in Russia, Sub Saharan Africa, Turkey, the Middle East and North Africa to drive further expansion in these key markets."

Prior to joining YouTube, Okosi served as a long-time TV executive. Most recently he was executive vice president and managing director of Viacom/CBS Networks Africa & BET International.