Kent Rees was named general manager of Pivot on Monday, taking the reins from channel president Evan Shapiro, who is leaving to pursue other opportunities.

Rees, who was one of the earliest executives hired to help launch the Participant Media-owned channel, will report directly to company CEO Jim Berk.

“Pivot is a growing network with a strong pipeline of original content and has expanded carriage to over 47 million homes. During this time, Kent played an integral role in establishing the Pivot brand and managing overall channel operations,” Berk said in a statement announcing the promotion. “He and his management team are well positioned to further the network’s reach and impact.”

Pivot has aired more than 300 hours of original programming since its launch on cable, satellite, and online in August 2013. In addition to a stable of fan favorites like Friday Night Lights, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, and Veronica Mars, the channel is the home of the critically acclaimed comedy Please Like Me, and the nightly news show Take Part Live. Pivot will debut its first scripted drama, Fortitude, in January 2015.

In announcing Rees’ elevation, Berk thanked Shapiro—who previously headed up IFC and SundanceTV— for helping shepherd the channel through its launch and infancy.

“I’m tremendously proud of what we’ve accomplished at Pivot sicne launching the network a little over a year ago,” Rees said Monday. “As general manager, I want to continue the network’s momentum in demonstrating that what you watch does make a difference.

Rees is a past member of the PromaxBDA Board of Directors, and most recently served as a mentor and instructor in Promo Pathway, the nation’s first accredited on-air promotions training program.

PromaxBDA is the publisher of Brief and Daily Brief.

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