Paul Buccieri to Chair ITV U.S. Group & Global Entertainment

LONDON: Paul Buccieri has been tapped as the chairman of the ITV Studios U.S. Group and Global Entertainment, while Maria Kyriacou takes on responsibility for the production operations outside of the U.S. and U.K.

Buccieri will focus on leading and integrating the U.S. Group, which now spans a total of six companies in the U.S. At the same time, Buccieri will become chairman of ITV Studios Global Entertainment. Kyriacou, the managing director of ITV Studios Global Entertainment, takes on expanded responsibilities, and will report to Buccieri for Global Entertainment and Kevin Lygo, the managing director of ITV Studios, for her new production remit.

Lygo said: “Under Paul’s leadership, the U.S. Group has grown dramatically with the acquisition and operation of our fantastic production companies in the U.S.

“Our strategy is to further develop and grow the American operation both in reality and scripted, which is key to the success of our global content business, and I’m therefore delighted that Paul has stepped up to concentrate on leading the newly enlarged group, both creatively and strategically, into an exciting new phase.

“Our production bases in Australia, France, Germany and the Nordics are also hugely important as we continue to develop a strong content pipeline in the key creative markets. Maria will provide excellent leadership and support to these teams which complements her existing role running our increasingly important Global Entertainment arm, one of the top three European distributors of television content.”

Buccieri said: "For me it’s all about working with the most talented, experienced and creative people in the industry and helping them achieve their vision to produce the best possible content. Quality creative in reality and scripted will always lead the way in securing dynamic growth and returns for our business."

Kyriacou added: "There are a lot of exceptionally talented and creative people working in our international production businesses around the world. I am looking forward to working closely with them as we continue to grow this increasingly important part of the business."