Ben Samek was named Chief Operating Officer for Endemol Shine North America in March 2015. Samek, an 18-year veteran of the television industry, was named Chief Operating Officer for Endemol USA in January 2014.

Samek manages the company’s relationships with subsidiaries Authentic Entertainment, 51 Minds, Original Media and True Entertainment. He also has oversight of the company’s operations and corporate development activities in North America, including human resources, finance and the commercial franchise team, as well as direct supervision of the company’s premium channel network (PCN) in the U.S.

Prior to his role as COO, Samek served as Chief Operating Officer at Endemol-owned 51 Minds, where he helped grow the company from its boutique beginnings into an industry heavyweight that generated more than $80 million a year in sales.

Samek began his career at MTV, working on the long-running series “FaNatic,” before moving over to reality powerhouse Bunim/Murray Productions, where he produced some of their most memorable content including “Making the Band” (ABC), “Road Rules” (MTV) and “The Extreme Challenge” (MTV). He produced “Cannonball Run” and won an Emmy Award for producing the third season of “The Amazing Race.”