Ben Richardson is taking the reins as VP and GM for Nickelodeon Australia, replacing Katrina Southon, who was promoted to the position of SVP and MD of Viacom International Media Networks Australia and New Zealand earlier this year.

In his new role, Richardson will be responsible for the management of Nickelodeon and Nick Jr., both 24-hour subscription television networks available in more than 2.3 million households. He is returning to Australia after spending six years abroad working in various capacities for Viacom International in India, Indonesia, Japan and, most recently, Korea. As VP and GM of MTV Networks Korea, Richardson led Nickelodeon to its best-ever ratings, including SpongeBob SquarePants becoming the top-rated animated show in the country.

Prior to joining MTV Networks, Richardson was executive producer at XYZnetworks – which currently holds a stake in Nickelodeon Australia.