Force Four Entertainment Taps Former Corus Original Programming VP

November 7, 2014 World Screen Top Stories
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TORONTO: Force Four Entertainment, a production company that was recently acquired by Entertainment One (eOne), has hired Vibika Bianchi as senior VP to launch and oversee its Toronto offices.

In her new role, Bianchi will work under John Ritchie, Force Four's chief creative officer. She will collaborate with Robert Hardy, the Vancouver-based senior VP and head of development, to expand the development and production slate.

Bianchi has more than two decades of experience in the television industry. She most recently served as VP of original programming at Corus Entertainment, where she commissioned and developed more than 100 projects, including Love It or List It, The Property Brothers and The Cupcake Girls. Earlier in her career, she worked for Barna-Alper Productions and Breakthrough Entertainment.

"Vibika is a true talent and has been part of some of the biggest hit shows on Canadian television," said Ritchie. "She has fantastic creative instincts and people skills, and she knows what viewers love to watch."

Rob Bromley, the president of Force Four, noted: "We are thrilled to open our doors in Toronto. Vibika will be instrumental in helping us work even more closely with our broadcasters and growing our company nationally and internationally, as we quickly capitalize on being part of eOne."

Bianchi added: "I'm excited to get back into the business of content creation with Force Four Entertainment. I've had the opportunity to work with the company's senior team since my early days at Corus and have always been impressed by their consistently high standards when it comes to content and business relationships. And with full access to the eOne network of partners around the world, we are well-positioned for international growth."

Force Four has also hired Heather Findlay as supervising producer, also based out of its Toronto office. She has worked in the TV industry for more than 16 years, with such companies as Cineflix and Proper Television, among others.