Banijay Nordic appoints Ivar Køhn to Chief Executive Officer role at Rubicon

Banijay Nordic has made a new senior appointment at Norwegian scripted label Rubicon. Ivar Køhn will soon take on the role of Chief Executive Officer, joining from public broadcaster NRK. “Ivar has been one of the key figures in the successful development of Norwegian TV drama in recent years. He is globally recognized for his exceptional instinct in backing original ideas which become international hits," Anne Bjørnstad and Eilif Skodvin, Creative Directors at Rubicon said.

At Rubicon, Køhn will alongside the company’s creative leaders, Anne Bjørnstad and Eilif Skodvin, to further stregthen the company’s pipeline of standout original programs for the local and international market. He will assume his role on 1st May 2022, and will report to Banijay Nordic’s CEO, Jacob Houlind, and the region’s Head of Scripted, Johannes Jensen. “Ivar Køhn has a stellar reputation across the scripted industry globally, and especially here in the Nordics," Jacob Houlind, CEO at Banijay Nordic said. "His knowledge of drama in Norway is second to none, and having already worked with Rubicon on several shows, he is the perfect match to lead the team. I’m looking forward to discovering the future stories and projects the new Rubicon team will create for the local and international market.”

Prior to his new position, Køhn held the position, Head of Drama at NRK since 2013. Under his leadership, the network has fostered a strong portfolio of acclaimed hits, including Rubicon’s original series directed by Izer Aliu, Countrymen, which picked up a Cannes Series award in September, has been nominated for Best Script at this week’s Göteborg Film Festival, and will air in the US on NENT’s Viaplay, through a deal with Banijay Rights. Other recent successes include last year’s International Emmy winner, Atlantic Crossing, as well as high-profile scripted series 22 July, "State of Happiness" and "Mammon 2." Prior to his time at NRK, Køhn spent six years leading the development and production department at the Norwegian Film Institute, and has previously held posts at the Norwegian Film Fund, Maipo Film and has also written and created his own scripted series.

The Nordic drama production company is credit with the success of various scripted productions, such as "Countrymen," HBO Max series "Beforeigners," which launched its second series last year across Europe and the US. Standout local talent, Eilif Skodvin and Anne Bjørnstad, contributed to the success of "Lillyhammer," and "The Councilman," which was also adapted for the Dutch market. Some of Banijay's most recent credits in the region include "Yellowbird/ Jarowskij film," "Ur Spår," which launched in theatres in Sweden last week, "Ronja the Robber’s Daughter," and "A Class Apart."

"There are great opportunities ahead for Norwegian drama, and to be involved in developing this through Rubicon TV will be challenging and super fun," Køhn said. "The company is behind high-profile series such as Lilyhammer, Beforeigners and Countrymen, and is part of the worldwide community of producers in Banijay. I'm going to do something I've not done before, based on something Iove been doing for quite some time.”