BET (a subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc.,NASDAQ: VIACA, VIAC), the nation's leading provider of quality content for African American audiences, announced key executive appointments within its Ad Sales organization, with Keith Lawson being promoted to Senior Vice President of Brand Solutions and Tavia Pitts being promoted to Senior Vice President of Ad Sales. Lawson will lead both Brand Solutions and the Ad Sales Production teams to support ideation and project management. Pitts will continue to manage some of BET’s top tier clients along with BET Her and BET LIVE responsibilities. Both Lawson and Pitts will report to BET President of Ad Sales Louis Carr.

“We have committed to partnering with our clients and realize the importance of advertising directly to Black audiences in a meaningful way. Keith and Tavia’s expertise have been instrumental to BET’s business growth and the growth of our clients in this area,” said Carr. “Their passion for the BET brand, consumers, their creativity and deep desire to create a positive impact in the community has strengthened our position among top advertisers. When you look at the Ad Sales leadership team with EVP Raymond Goulbourne, SVP Kim Lewis, and now Tavia Pitts and Keith Lawson, we are clearly the most knowledgeable and experienced team in regards to AA consumers in the industry.”

In their previous roles with BET, Lawson and Pitts successfully led units within the Ad Sales function, with Lawson most recently leading the team tasked with supporting all productions for Ad Sales, while Pitts was instrumental in driving revenue and building innovative solutions for BET’s biggest advertisers, like Procter & Gamble. Both leaders have played integral roles in the recent success of BET’s Ad Sales unit, the expansion of our portfolio of ad partners and the creation of high impact ads and integrations for some of the world’s biggest brands.

“I am thrilled to showcase the power and importance of Black women, and to continue the legacy of BET as the best in elevating Black cultural experiences and positively impacting the Black community,” says Pitts. I look forward to working with our advertisers, partners and ViacomCBS teams to create meaningful and authentic connections with Black audiences.”

BET’s Ad Sales unit is fortified by the diversity in backgrounds and experience of these leadership appointments.

Pitts has nearly 20 years as a consumer-centric Marketing leader with a proven track record of delivering growth for some of the world’s most iconic brands including Coca Cola, Sprite, Hershey’s, Harley-Davidson, and others.

Lawson is an award-winning, 30-year entertainment industry vet and executive producer of prime-time BET content.

“I’m incredibly proud of the work of BET’s Ad Sales team, helping to break sales records and hitting new revenue milestones for our legacy brand,” said Lawson. “I look forward to leveraging my background to help move the BET brand forward, cementing our position, both within the ViacomCBS roster, and as the premiere platform for brands to connect with Black audiences."