Paramount Bolsters International Ad Sales Leadership with Appointment of Katie Coteman

Drachan Forster named VP of UK Sponsorships 

Strategic hires strengthen Paramount's integrated multi-market offer

Paramount today announces the appointment of Katie Coteman to the newly created role of SVP International Ad Sales, alongside Drachan Forster as VP of UK Sponsorships, as the company continues to expand its integrated advertising capabilities. 

Katie joins from Warner Bros. Discovery, and will report to Lee Sears, President of Paramount International Advertising Sales. She will drive Paramount's international ad sales strategy and revenue growth across the company's unique ecosystem of free-to-air networks, pay TV channels, and streaming platforms.  

Last month Paramount announced it is bringing all UK sponsorships in-house and has recently rolled out ad tiers on Paramount+ internationally. Katie will oversee the newly formed UK sponsorship team as well as agency sales and partnerships across the European business.  

She brings over 20 years’ experience both agency and media owner side – most recently as GVP, Head of Advertising Sales and Partnerships at Warner Bros. Discovery. Her prior roles include VP of Advertising and Partnerships at Discovery Inc and Associate Director of Communications Planning at Carat. 

Katie Coteman said: "I'm really excited to join Paramount with its vast portfolio of loved local and global brands. The robust investment strategy in the UK, evidenced by the recent rebranding of 5, the UK's 3rd largest commercial PSB channel, across linear, streaming and digital, coupled with the increased focus on in-house expertise, creates a tremendous opportunity. I look forward to working with Lee to build a first-class team that ensures our clients and partners get the very best from working with us." 

Drachan Forster to Lead UK Sponsorships Team 

Drachan Forster has been appointed VP of UK Sponsorships and will report to Katie. He will head the newly formed UK sponsorships team overseeing commercial partnerships with the Paramount brands, working alongside the agency sales team. 

Drachan has over 25 years’ experience in brand partnerships and joins from Sky Media where he previously served as the Head of Content Partnerships, representing the Paramount amongst others.  Prior to this he spent 9 years at Viacom as Partnership Director.   

Drachan Forster said: "I’ve worked closely with Paramount for many years and over this time have seen the success of brand partnerships with 5 and the other Paramount channels.  This new role allows me to work from within Paramount and provide even greater integration, so it was an opportunity that couldn’t be missed.” 

 Lee Sears, President of Paramount International Advertising Sales, said: "I am delighted to welcome Katie and Drachan to Paramount at this important moment for our advertising business. Katie brings exceptional strategic vision and deep industry relationships that will be instrumental as we accelerate our international commercial growth. 

By bringing sponsorship capabilities in house and launching ad tiers on Paramount+ we've created a truly unique, integrated opportunity for advertisers across Paramount’s unrivalled platform mix. Katie's leadership will be key to unlocking the full potential of this diverse portfolio for clients across international markets. 

Drachan's proven track record in creating innovative brand partnerships makes him the ideal leader to drive our sponsorship business forward as we continue to connect advertisers with our iconic content and engaged audiences."  

Paramount Ad Sales' planning and operations teams and in-house creative team Paramount Brand Studios will continue to report directly to Lee Sears in all markets outside of the US, alongside sales leadership outside of Katie's remit. 

Katie joins Paramount in September 2025 and Drachan joins in June 2025.