Banijay’s H2O Taps Former Endemol Exec as MD

PARIS: H20 Productions, part of the Banijay Group, has appointed Philippe Stoltz, most recently the head of reality and docu-reality and executive producer at Endemol France, as its new managing director.

Stoltz will join H20 this month. At Endemol France since 2008, Stoltz has spearheaded production on such shows as Secret Story, Celebrity Farm, Star Academy and Undercover Boss. Further credits include Peking Express, Come Dine with Me, The Bachelor and Top Model.

Cyril Hanouna, the founder of H2O Productions, commented, “Philippe’s extensive experience and talent will be enormous assets to H2O as, with the backing of Banijay, we expand our industry presence and we work to deliver more hours of fresh content month after month.”

Stoltz added, “This is a fantastic opportunity for me to work with an exceptional talent like Cyril at a young, fresh company that has built in just one year a strong reputation in France and beyond. Hands off My Set! has become a cornerstone in D8’s schedule and a true French pop culture phenomenon, so I’m very pleased to be able to work with Cyril and his team to develop and expand the company’s creativity and output.”