BANIJAY REVEALED ITS NEW EXECUTIVE STRUCTURE FOR THE UK

Banijay revealed a revised executive structure for its UK holding, following the recent acquisition of Endemol Shine Group. From September, former ESG Chief Creative Officer, Peter Salmon, will lead Banijay UK as Executive Chairman, with former territory Chief Operating Officer, Lucinda Hicks, by his side, taking up the post of Chief Executive Officer.

Moving forwards, Salmon will oversee the UK’s burgeoning portfolio of 25 unscripted and scripted production labels, with a focus on content and creativity, while Hicks will run the business’ day-to-day operations. In their new roles, the pair will work in unison to devise and implement the country’s integration plans in order to combine the entities by the end of 2020.

Banijay UK represents a powerhouse of productions which includes “MasterChef,” “Young Wallander,” “Grantchester,” “Tipping Point,” “Mr Bean,” “Ambulance,” “Big Brother,” “Good Karma Hospital,” “Dickinson’s Real Deal,” and many more. Catering for every genre and every taste, the combined operation brings together a multitude of indies and a host of the country’s leading creative entrepreneurs.

Richard Johnston, current CEO of Endemol Shine UK, will leave the business as a result of the restructure. Johnston was appointed CEO in January 2015 having overseen the merger of the Endemol and Shine companies in the UK. During his time as CEO of the UK group, he has driven an expansion strategy, overseeing years of consistent growth.

Marco Bassetti, Chief Executive Officer at Banijay, commented: “The UK is now one of our biggest markets, with a plethora of multi-genre labels and an incredible catalogue that has travelled the globe. With this scale we needed robust leadership, which spanned both the creative narrative of the group, as well as the operational one. Already heavily engaged in the country’s business and tapped into much of its network, Peter and Lucinda were in a prime position to take the group through the next stage of its journey. Brimming with IP and some of the best minds in the business, I’ve no doubt Banijay UK, with them at the helm, will continue to be at the epicentre of devising original and innovative brands, which get the world talking. I’ll finish by thanking Richard for his incredible dedication, commendable service and significant hard work in putting the UK group and its labels in such great health”.

Meanwhile, Peter Salmon expressed: “It’s a great moment to land one of the biggest production jobs in the world. Having worked across our UK slate from a global perspective for nearly five years, I know how exciting the shows and producers are. In Banijay UK we have an unrivalled network of creative talent, a multi-regional footprint, first-class formats and a world-beating catalogue – an incredible advantage moving forward”.

Lastly, Lucinda Hicks said: “It’s great to be combining this tremendous talent, entrepreneurialism and IP under one roof. It has been a pleasure working with Richard over the last few years. The power of our brands and the appetite for them globally has made ESUK such an exciting place to be, which is now bolstered further with more creative leaders and amazing IP. I look forward to working with Peter to build a combined creative portfolio renowned for its standout, world-class titles, driving innovation and originality and being at the forefront of positive change in the industry”.