MUMBAI: Reliance Big Entertainment has appointed Sanjeev Lamba as Reliance BIG Pictures CEO. This is a new position that has been created in the company. Prior to this Sunir Khetrapal and Mahesh Ramanathan were heading BIG Pictures as chief creative officers (COO).

However, after a stint of almost three and a half years, Khetrapal recently resigned from his post as COO. Lamba will report to Reliance Big Entertainment chairman Amit Khanna.

Khanna said, "We welcome an accomplished professional like Sanjeev to our team.  I am sure; he will help build Reliance Big Pictures into a pre-eminent film studio in India and overseas."

"We are currently undergoing a significant change in the way Indian movies are made, distributed and marketed. Reliance is well positioned to be a long term global media and entertainment player, particularly in movies. I am looking forward to working with talented senior team already in place to build a strong profitable global movie business," said Lamba.

Lamba has more than 25 years of experience in advertising, consumer products licensing, video games and movies of which 15 years have been in senior international positions.

Prior to joining Reliance Big Pictures, Lamba was with Zee Entertainment Studios as COO. He has also worked with Ogilvy and Mather in Mumbai and New Delhi, The Walt Disney Company in Hong Kong, Tokyo and California, the Weinstein Company in New York.