Passion Makes New Hires

LONDON, July 3: Passion
Distribution, an independent outfit launched by former iD Distribution chief
Sally Miles, has named Emma Simpkins as its director of sales and Claudia Zell
as the European sales and acquisitions manager.

Simpkins previously served
as iD Distribution’s sales director, joining the company from Beyond
Distribution, where she had been the VP of international sales. In her new
role, she will be responsible for generating revenue across Passion’s portfolio
of content, as well as for oversight of the sales team.

Zell, too, is a former iD
Distribution team member, having brought the company’s first German format deal
into production. She held previous roles at Parthenon Entertainment and BBC
Worldwide. At Passion, Zell will concentrate on the acquisition of European
programming. She will report to Simpkins, as will Carolyn Ozkoseoglu, who was
recently named the Pacific-Rim sales and acquisitions manager.

Miles commented: "I
am going to be working with a very talented and highly regarded sales team.
Together we have delivered tremendous results in the past and I cannot believe
I am fortunate enough to be able to work with them again. We have so much new
energy and passion and to have the luxury to already know and respect each
other and to choose to work with each other again says a huge amount. We all
have the passion needed to take this company much further!”

—By Kristin
Brzoznowski