From VJ to VP: KC Montero named Kumu vice president of marketing
Mobile app Kumu has appointed long-time partner KC Montero to vice president of marketing.
Montero’s involvement with Kumu is unique in the Philippine tech landscape. While many celebrities in the Philippines support local tech companies, they most commonly do so as an influencer or endorser.
Montero’s partnership, in contrast, is not only related to influence, but also financial and strategic: As the newly appointed vice president of marketing, KC Montero is now a full shareholder and managing partner, alongside Kumu co-founders Roland Ros, Rexy Dorado, Andrew Pineda, Clare Ros, and Angelo Mendez.
As the vice president of marketing for an app built around livestreaming content, Montero has an extensive network spanning both media and business he can call on for Kumu.
Career
After winning the MTV VJ hunt in 1999, Montero has become the channel’s longest running VJ and a regionally seen television personality and producer - his acting and hosting has been featured on Celebrity Car Wars, Survivor Philippines, GMA 7, Fox Sports, and the Discovery Channel’s Worst Vacation Ever.
Montero also currently hosts Good Times on Magic 89.9, and is a successful businessman, both inside and outside the entertainment industry.
Montero was eager to join Kumu--initially as a digital strategist and host of its flagship game show, QuizMoKo, and now lead in an even greater role as VP of marketing --because he believes the platform is the future of live entertainment.
“While viewership growth on Kumu across all demographics is high, it is particularly high among Gen Z and millennial viewers. This popularity shows the inherent appeal of the platform: Fans and content creators alike enjoy interacting live with one another in a way that is not scripted or filtered like television, but identical to the authenticity and intimacy of a one-on-one conversation between close friends,” said Montero.
Celebpreneurs
Montero’s involvement in Kumu is part of a growing worldwide trend of celebrities taking increasingly larger roles in the tech ecosystem.
One of the first was Ashton Kutcher, who built a $250-million portfolio investing in the likes of Uber, Airbnb, Spotify and Pinterest. Even post-NBA retirement Kobe Bryant is setting his sights on Silicon Valley with his venture capital firm, Bryant Stibel. Still others are becoming founders, such as Jessica Alba, who founded The Honest Company in 2011 and at one point reached a billion-dollar valuation.
With his greater role as vice president of marketing, does Montero want to be recognized as the “Ashton Kutcher of Asia?”
“I’d rather be the ‘first’ than the ‘only,’” he said in response.
“It would be great if more local celebrities could take on a larger role at up-and-coming tech companies, and I believe the story of Kumu will convince many of them to do so. In Kumu, they’ll witness a scrappy startup innovate a traditional field that has gone unchanged for far too long. They’ll want skin in the game once they see how we democratize the media landscape.” /