Paul Zilk was appointed President and Chief Executive of Reed MIDEM in January 2003.  He is responsible for the company’s professional trade shows in music, television and digital content, real estate and urban management.

Mr Zilk is an experienced international manager, marketer and brand builder with a background in consumer packaged goods, professional sports, internet commerce, professional exhibitions and events.

Mr Zilk joined Reed MIDEM in September 2001 as Managing Director, and became CEO in January 2003.  Mr Zilk is a member of the Board of Directors of Reed Exhibitions, which is a part of Reed Elsevier, the parent company of Reed MIDEM.  Mr Zilk is also a Board Member of the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (IATAS) and a member of the International Honorary Committee of the Montreux Jazz Festival.

From early 2000 and until joining Reed MIDEM, Mr Zilk was Managing Director then Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Auction Land, a European internet company owned by Europatweb.

From 1992 to 2000, Mr Zilk headed the international business of the National Basketball Association (NBA), where he established and managed NBA offices throughout Europe, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and Oceania.  Mr Zilk oversaw the international development of branded consumer products, television program sales, corporate marketing partnerships, press relations and events which included exhibitions and regular-season games, the McDonald’s Championship international tournament, arena-based festivals, youth programs and NBA player press tours.  He was a Board Member of Street Hoops – an international organiser of touring sports programs.

Between 1981 and 1992, Mr Zilk held various roles in consumer packaged goods marketing, notably in the Nestlé group at the company’s global headquarters in Switzerland.  In the USA he held positions in general management, marketing, new business development and acquisitions at the Carnation Company and was a marketer at Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream.

Mr Zilk, an American citizen, holds an MBA degree from Harvard Business School and an undergraduate degree from Harvard College. He has lived in Europe for more than 20 years and speaks fluent French.  In 2009 he was named Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French government in recognition of his contributions to the arts in France and around the world.