According to an MTV spokeswoman, Jain’s decision to resign was a “personal one” and he will continue working for MTV on a project basis. However, sources close to Jain say he was fired and will be doing very limited work for MTV in the future.
Both Suharjono and Jain joined MTV in 2005 and are based in Singapore.
Suharjono will oversee MTV’s brand portfolio and businesses across the region and her appointment is effective immediately.
This is the second management reshuffle for MTV within the past few months. Jain’s departure follows Ian Stewart’s resignation in September as MTV Networks International and Viacom Brand Solutions’ senior vice-president. He was replaced by Vineet Puri, former vice-president of ad sales at MTV Networks Asia.
Sources close to MTV’s management in both Asia-Pacific and its Western headquarters in London and New York say more upheavals can be expected for the network in Asia-Pacific as early as the first quarter of next year, but MTV’s regional spokeswoman denies any plans for a drastic restructuring.
“We operate in an industry of constant change. This combined with the current economic situation are motivators for always seeking ways of bettering our business to ensure long-term,” she said. “Indra’s leadership will guide us through the next stages of development in SEA and China.”
The shift also sees Jain’s management of the Viacom 18 joint venture move to the Emerging Markets Group under executive vice president and managing director of emerging markets Bhavneet Singh, based in London.
