Banijay has set out the structure and management team for its German operations in the wake of its merger with All3Media closing.
There was crossover in Banijay and All3Media’s operations in the huge German market, with the combined outfit home to several well-known production labels and execs.
The newly merged biz will be called Banijay Germany. Arno Schneppenheim joins the Banijay board as Chief Creative Officer and also takes on the management of EndemolShine Germany from September 1. Ute März remains co-managing director.
Schneppenheim headed the Comedy & Light Entertainment unit at EndemolShine Germany from 2009 to 2018 and was the founding Managing Director of Florida TV, which was backed by EndemolShine.
Schneppenheim will serve as CCO alongside Knut Kremling, who is COO, and Michael Laegel, who is CFO, all under the leadership of Marcus Wolter, Banijay Germany CEO.
Elsewhere, Vittorio Valente will lead the former All3Media German labels filmpool entertainment, filmpool fiction, and South&Browse, as well as the Magic Connection agency. He becomes CEO of the labels under the filmpool united banner.
Katrin Stefanović becomes the sole managing director at the Banijay Productions label having previously shared the MD role with Schneppenheim.
“Both Banijay and All3Media stand for building and growing companies with their own DNA, spirit, and independent positioning, driven by strong production personalities,” Wolter said.
“The stars are the companies within the group – not the group itself. Now we are setting the course for the next stage of Banijay’s evolution with an exceptional new leadership team.”
Banijay Germany’s labels include Brainpool, Banijay Productions, EndemolShine, MadeFor, filmpool fiction, filmpool entertainment and South&Browse.
The executive shuffle comes after news from earlier today that former EndemolShine Germany co-MD Fabian Tobias has left to run rival banner ITV Studios Germany.
Expect more exec comings and goings and restructuring as Banijay sets its management teams post-merger. Germany was one of the big pieces to resolve given the size of the market and the overlap in operations.
