TV4 Bolsters Development Team

STOCKHOLM: Maria Mowbray is returning to TV4 as the new head of development, while Cem Yeter joins the team as creative director.

Mowbray was TV4’s former head of commissioning, and she most recently has been freelancing for several broadcasters. Yeter was formerly managing director at Mastiff and most recently served as CEO of Zodiak’s U.S. office in Los Angeles. Both Mowbray and Yeter will take up their roles in January. At the same time, Jakob Hansson will transition to a more fundamental senior program development role. Alongside Mowbray and Niklas Vestberg, he will remain responsible for managing programming pitches, intake and negotiating deals, but will focus mainly on program development. Vestberg remains as formats manager.

Cathrine Wiernik, the director of programs at Bonnier Broadcasting, said: “This is fantastic! We now have a real dream-team that, together with our already strong colleagues, will enable us to select more carefully from the enormous volume of ideas being pitched, and focus more on developing the ideas we really believe in. It will also allow us to shift up a gear in all of our development projects.”

Mowbray added: “Being focused on developing and commissioning programming at a time when television is under such profound change is a dream job. The team we’re putting together has an incredible amount of experience and knowledge, which means that, together with the production companies, we’ll be able to work in even greater depth on development.”

Yeter commented: “It feels right taking on this challenge and to step over to the network side of the business to grow and learn. I hope to bring my experience of developing and producing big entertainment formats, and I look forward to work with some of the brightest and most passionate people in the industry.”