Rola Bauer Joins MGM

Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM) has tapped veteran producer and studio executive Rola Bauer as president of international television productions.

Bauer will oversee development, production and co-productions for MGM’s international scripted television content. Based in Munich, she will split her time between the company’s European and U.S. offices.

Bauer most recently served as partner and creative force at STUDIOCANAL TV (previously known as TANDEM Communications, which she founded in 1999). She began her career at Alliance Communications, finishing there as president of its subsidiary Alliance International TV, where she managed several international offices out of its Paris headquarters. She later moved to Munich to work as a buyer at ProSieben TV Network, where Bauer oversaw their international series and co-productions efforts.

As executive producer, she oversaw the complex co-production partnerships of several major international networks including ZDF, Viaplay, CANAL+, CANAL+ Poland and NPO for the dramatic thriller Shadowplay, from Mans Marlind, and produced by TANDEM Productions and BRON Studios. Previously, Bauer has produced English-language series such as The Pillars of The Earth, Crossing Lines, Take Two and will serve as an EP on the upcoming The Man Who Fell to Earth. 

She has earned the Medaille d’Honneur for her outstanding contributions to the international television business.

Her new post sees her reporting to MGM Television Group Chairman Mark Burnett. Burnett commented, “Rola is an important member of the scripted creative community with exceptional taste in material and deep long-term relationships with many talented creators, directors and actors across Global television. We are thrilled to continue building on our successful lineup of programming with Rola, while tapping into new markets and audiences and further expanding our international growth. Rola will be leading that growth. I’m thrilled to get to work with her.”

Bauer commented, “Mark Burnett has passionately created iconic productions and successfully built companies, which I have always admired. He, along with the leadership at the studio, share a vision to further strengthen the iconic MGM brand internationally, which was very inspiring for me to hear. I am honored and excited to have this chance to be a part of it, and to work with the impressive MGM and EPIX teams to create synergies across the companies. As the world changes and our industry continues to evolve, MGM will build a bridge with co-production partnerships to further expand on the studio’s ongoing successful global growth.”