ITV Studios Snaps Up Endemol Shine Executive Lisa Perrin
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ITV Studios has snapped up Endemol Shine executive Lisa Perrin, appointing her as the new managing director of international production.
Perrin joins the company from Endemol Shine Group (ESG) where she served as CEO of Creative Networks. Her exit comes as the business prepares to merge with Banijay Group, resulting in the departures of a number of long-time execs, such as head of Endemol Shine International Cathy Payne.
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Reporting directly to Julian Bellamy, managing director of ITV Studios, Perrin will form part of the senior management team, overseeing the day-to-day operation of ITV Studios’ production labels outside the U.K. and U.S., developing business strategy and vision as well as identifying growth opportunities in new and existing markets.
She will work closely with the managing directors of ITV Studios Australia, France, Germany, Middle East, Netherlands Finland, Sweden and Norway as well as Tetra Media Studios in France, Talpa and Imago in Germany, Cattleya in Italy and United in Denmark.
Her role effectively takes on the production remit of ITV Studios’ former head of international Maria Kyriacou, who also handled distribution on the international side. Kyriacou departed ITV Studios last year to join Viacom as president of ViacomCBS Networks UK and Australia – a role she takes up officially next week.
Meanwhile, Perrin’s appointment completes the senior management team for ITV Studios’ reorganized international distribution and commercial business, which was rejigged followed Kyriacou’s exit in September.
As part of a further reorganization of the international and commercial arms, Mike Beale will hand management of the Nordics territories to Perrin.
He will now take on an expanded worldwide creative role as managing director of Global Creative Network, reporting directly to Bellamy.
In this role, Beale will help drive ITV Studios’ creative and development efforts across the Group’s business globally with a more active role with the U.K. and U.S. teams. A major focus will be building ITV Studios’ creative pipeline via development deals and partnerships with format creators across the world.
Under the new structure, Perrin will now work alongside Beale, Maarten Meijs, who heads up Global Entertainment and Ruth Berry, who leads Global Distribution.
While Global Entertainment handles international unscripted format sales and exploitation, Global Distribution focuses on the international distribution of drama, factual and the finished tape versions of all ITV Studios and third-party produced shows. Both Meijs and Berry report to David McGraynor, chief operating officer for ITV Studios.
Bellamy, managing director of ITV Studios, said: “With a rare balance of creative and commercial talent, Lisa is an inspiring and dynamic leader. I have no doubt that she will bring great vision, drive and flair to this increasingly important part of the Studios business.”
Perrin, a well-respected exec in the unscripted space, has more than 25 years’ experience in production and development. She has grown Endemol Shine Group’s scripted and non-scripted production and development across 65 countries, launching formats such as “The Wall” and “All Together Now.”
She also rolled out the renewal of “Big Brother” and “MasterChef” and launched new formats such as “Sounds Familiar,” “Hunted” and “Stripped.”
Prior to her role as CEO Creative Networks at ESG, Perrin was creative director and managing director of Shine Creative Networks. She served as director of commissioning for entertainment at UKTV from 2008 to 2011.
Perrin added: “I’ve loved my time at Endemol Shine – it’s been a wonderful journey. I will miss many of my colleagues there. I’m truly excited to be joining ITV Studios and to be part of the new international team, working with the incredibly talented production companies around the world who are creating and producing so many hugely successful, award-winning programmes loved by global audiences.”
Over at Endemol Shine’s Creative Networks, James Townley – former director of operations for Endemol Shine UK – has been appointed global head of creative networks, while Sky’s head of production for non-scripted Sarah Sedazzari has joined the business as head of production.
Endemol Shine’s chief creative officer Peter Salmon issued a memo to staff about Perrin’s departure, obtained by Variety:
Dear all
I have news to share. Lisa Perrin will be leaving us for a new challenge and a new home. The details of this will be announced shortly by her new employer.
As CEO of Creative Networks, Lisa’s drive, insight and can-do have been at its heart. Skills honed in over 10 years with the Group, as head of Shine’s format division and before that as Creative Director at Shine TV. Last year saw over 50 formats travelling from around the Group. That’s more than any competitor and our best tally ever as a Group, so Lisa leaves us in a strong place with a strong team supporting our shows.
Though we are of course very sad to see Lisa go, she does so with our thanks and having put in place a framework for Creative Networks to support and supercharge emerging and established IP across the Group. An approach we intend to build on.
Creative Networks responsibility has sat with me at a Group level these past four years and I’ll take a more hands-on management role in the coming months, with Lisa’s duties also assigned throughout the very able Creative Networks team, bolstered by two new recruits.
I’m pleased to announce that James Townley joins us from Director of Operations at ESUK to become Global Head of Creative Networks. James will work closely with me and captain our strong Creative Networks team working from both London and Amsterdam. James will also take particular responsibility for working with UK teams on their pipeline, and coordinating Non Scripted streamer projects (as he has been for the UK). James’ energy, experience and close working knowledge of our pipeline and Group, along with the insight on buyers’ needs from his current role make him ideal to step in and lead the team. He starts his new role from now.
Secondly, I am also pleased to tell you that joining us in the role of Head of Production, Creative Networks will be Sarah Sedazzari. Most recently Head of Production across Sky’s Non-Scripted portfolio, Sarah is well-versed in working across a broad pan-European slate. Her extensive production and technical experience will be invaluable in driving our ambitions for further production collaboration and efficiencies within our Group. Sarah starts next month and I look forward to introducing her to the business.
Sarah and James join an already strong Creative Networks team focussed on supporting, and investing in, our IP from around the Group in 2020, particularly big, new, entertainment formats and ‘scaleable’, affordable shows for linear and streamer buyers.
I will be in touch shortly with a ‘who to go to for what’ guide to Creative Networks along clear, simple lines. And I look forward to a creative and productive series of Workshops and Exchanges over the coming months.
Lisa will be with us and working on a handover for the coming weeks, and before she leaves us, a time will go in for people to say a proper goodbye and huge thanks most likely in Amsterdam and London
As ever, if anyone has any questions please don’t hesitate to drop me a line.
Best.
Peter
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