• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, January 4, 2008

As Discovery Communications preps to become fully public, the company has created a COO post. On Thursday, it named a company veteran to hold it. Mark Hollinger, who's been with Discovery since 1991, takes the role in another high-profile executive move by CEO David Zaslav--entering his second year leading the corp.

Zaslav said Hollinger's new role "codifies what has been the reality for a long time: Mark is the operational leader of this company...his fluency in the domestic and international businesses, and his overall experience will be critical as Discovery prepares for the next step in our long-term growth strategy."

The company is expected to go fully public in the second quarter; only a portion is currently available on the NASDAQ via Discovery Holding Co., which controls 66%. The structural change is expected to usher in a period of expansion, with the new publicly traded currency to be used to facilitate acquisitions.

In his current role, Hollinger oversees corporate operations that stretch from business affairs to production management, as well as Discovery's networks internationally. He's conducting duties that a general counsel will take on when one is hired.

"This is a significant time in Discovery's history, and I could not be more excited for the opportunity to continue supporting the company's success and growth," Hollinger said.

In addition to becoming fully public, the company is preparing re-branding initiatives for several channels.

Hollinger, a former entertainment lawyer, came to Discovery 18 years ago as deputy general counsel, and three years later, headed operations for the flagship channel in Asia. In 1996, he became company general counsel en route to becoming president, global businesses and operations, and general counsel.

Executive changes Zaslav has made include bringing John Ford, a former Discovery executive, back to the company. Ford now heads the flagship channel; he also tapped Fox studios' Angela Shapiro-Mathes to head the TLC network.