Manish Jha, the high-profile head of the MobileESPN MVNO forays from Disney, as well as later the SVP of ESPN Mobile (the publishing arm) after that, has left the company, and has joined Montreal-based mobile content applications firm Vantrix as the CEO. The company enables delivery of rich media content to mobiles, including messaging, advertising, and live video and audio streaming.
Jha was at ESPN since 1991, and has various roles in new media at the company. More in release. This is not the first high level defection from that team, besides the layoffs that must have happened: Vladimir Edelman, the VP and GM of Mobile ESPN Publishing Worldwide, joined last year as the CEO of Soapbox Mobile, a mobile marketing and content solutions firm.
P.S.: Will find out tomorrow who is heading ESPN’s mobile efforts now....see the story above about Mobile ESPN application in an exclusive deal with Verizon Wireless. Interesting timing co-ordination on both announcements.
Related:
-- Manish Jha On The New Mobile ESPN
-- It’s Official: Mobile ESPN To Cease MVNO Ops Dec. 31; Will Seek Licensing