BO STEHMEIER WILL TAKE ON THE ROLE OF CEO AT OFF THE FENCE

Bo Stehmeier will take on the role of CEO of Off the Fence B.V., in a joint capacity alongside the company founder Ellen Windemuth as of January 1, 2021. This was announced by Fred Burcksen, President and CEO of ZDF Enterprises and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Off The Fence B.V.

The Off the Fence group of companies was founded in 1994 and produces and sells high-quality documentaries and series around the world. ZDF Enterprises GmbH acquired 100% of the shares of Off the Fence B.V., a leading company from the Netherlands in the field of non-fictional content, in early 2019, and appointed Ralf Rückauer, VP ZDFE.unscripted at ZDF Enterprises, as its Co-CEO.

"We are very pleased to have been able to secure the services of Bo Stehmeier for this position. He is not only an internationally recognized and well-networked marketing and sales expert, but also someone who, from many years of previous experience with Off the Fence, knows the company and its range of programmes very well. Together with Ellen Windemuth and the committed, international sales and production team, he will guide Off the Fence safely into the future. We are also pleased that the temporary Co-CEO Ralf Rueckauer will now again be able to focus completely on his core work as VP ZDFE.unscripted at ZDF Enterprises, and we thank him very much for his excellent work at Off the Fence,"  Burcksen said.

After completing his studies in media production and distribution at the universities of Lincoln, Salford and Bristol, Bo Stehmeier initially worked in purchasing and sales at TVF International, Zodiak Media and Optomen, before moving to Off the Fence in 2007, where he held various positions, and was most recently responsible for global sales. Bo Stehmeier was appointed to Head of World Sales at Red Arrow Studios International in 2016 and has been its President since January 2019.

“The OTF team has readied the company for exponential growth, perfectly timed for the imminent renaissance of non-scripted. I am truly excited to reconnect with my factual entertainment roots and to co-pilot this studio during such exciting times,”  Stehmeier commented.

Lastly, Ellen Windemuth, CEO of Off the Fence B.V., expressed: “Bo and OTF share the same passion for high quality nonfiction. His vast experience will allow us to grow the company while supporting its values and spirit. I very much look forward to working with him again”.