Marco Balsamo appointed President and CEO of TeamTO's new structure

TeamTO enters a new chapter as Marco Balsamo takes over as President and CEO following its acquisition by RIVA Studios Productions in December 2024. The 33-year-old Italian-American filmmaker and entrepreneur will now oversee TeamTO’s operations, balancing executive and creative responsibilities while positioning the studio for growth in a rapidly evolving animation industry. Co-founded by Balsamo and Tara Sibel Demren, the Italian production company partnered with Jay Oliva of Lex & Otis and investor Peter Bekkerman, to form a new ownership group with the sole purpose of securing the studio’s long-term future. The acquisition coincides with TeamTO’s 20th anniversary, marking a pivotal moment in its history.

As part of its commitment to preserving TeamTO’s legacy, RIVA Studios retained 90% of the studio’s employees, ensuring continuity while stabilizing operations. The new management structure includes long-term TeamTO executives Clélia Santi (Head of Studios, Paris); Carole Toledo (Head of Studios, Valence); Jean-Baptiste Spieser (Chief Technology Officer); Olivier Plazas (Art Director); and Fanny Weber (Executive Producer). TeamTO original co-Founders Guillaume Hellouin and Corrine Kouper to exit the company.

President and CEO Marco Balsamo commented, “This studio has built a remarkable legacy, and we’re committed to ensuring its long-term success. We also want to expand our reach to international partners, strengthen our presence in the global animation industry, and establish TeamTO as a leader in both original content and premium production services.”

Under its new leadership, TeamTO will expand its creative slate, blending its legacy of acclaimed children’s animated series like "Angelo Rules" and "Jade Armor" with a lineup of original IPs from RIVA, broadening its reach into adult animation and 2D animation. The studio is currently developing "Akira’s Flying Wheelchair", "Junichiro Jackson", "Yellow Cello and the Sea of Memories", "The Adventures of Amir Hamza" (based on the legendary South Asian epic), "Cradle: Unsouled", "Era: The Legend of Lugh", and Corvus Belli’s "Infinity: Paradise Lost".

One of Balsamo’s key initiatives as CEO will be to diversify TeamTO’s production slate, ensuring it remains a competitive force in the industry. He will work closely with Oliva and Demren to develop bold new projects that push the boundaries of storytelling and visual artistry. Beyond his executive role, Balsamo will take on expanded creative responsibilities, serving as a showrunner, writer, and director across multiple projects.

Balsamo and Demren, already aware of TeamTO’s financial situation, had been exploring ways to save the studio from bankruptcy since early June 2024, actively working on potential solutions. Then a chance meeting with Oliva in New York in mid-October—just four days before the bid deadline—led to their decision to acquire the studio together. What started as a friendly catch-up quickly turned into a determined effort to preserve a studio renowned for its technical innovation and storytelling excellence. With time running out, the group submitted their bid to the French court just 24 minutes before the deadline, securing TeamTO’s future.

“The way this deal came together—so serendipitously, so quickly—still feels surreal,” said Balsamo. “In an industry where animation studios are struggling, talented animators are being laid off, and decades of work are at risk of vanishing, we couldn’t let a studio with TeamTO’s pedigree be lost. We’ve always championed the independent spirit of filmmaking, and TeamTO embodies that same spirit. I couldn’t ask for a better team with whom to embark on this adventure.”