Nordisk Film & TV Appoints Liselott Forsman as CEO

Liselott Forsman, executive producer of international drama at the Finnish broadcasting company Yle, has been chosen as the new CEO of Nordisk Film & TV Fond.

Forsman will succeed the current CEO Petri Kemppinen on October 7. Her appointment was unanimously chosen by the fund’s board of directors.

Previously, Forsman was the head of fiction at Swedish Yle and produced documentaries, culture and youth programs in both Finnish and Swedish. She is the chair of the EBU Fiction Expert Group and program director of the international drama event Helsinki Script.

Stine Helgeland, chairwoman of the board of directors at Nordisk Film & TV Fond, said: “After a rigorous selection process and the consideration of 36 high-caliber candidates, the Board is delighted to appoint Liselott Forsman as new CEO. Liselott has an outstanding track record in production and script development, an acute sense of local, Nordic and global perspective, and a deep understanding of the challenges that the Nordic film and TV industry is facing.

“In recent years, she has been at the forefront of the TV drama transformation, and a sought-after international commentator and expert in Nordic TV drama. She also has a solid knowledge in film, with key roles at the Midnight Sun Film Festival and as Board member of Nordisk Film & TV Fond between 2011-2013. We feel confident that she will further develop and strengthen Nordisk Film & TV Fond at a time when the Fund has opened up to new digital partners and secured a new agreement structure for 2020-2024. Nordisk Film & TV Fond Board and staff members wish a warm welcome to Liselott!”

Forsman said: “It is an honor to join Nordisk Film & TV Fond, which through its history has enabled diverse Nordic audio-visual industries to reach new goals and international acclaim. As a Swedish speaking Finn, I tend to look at the world with a double gaze, being interested in both small and big players, with a special focus on Nordic cooperation and international strategies.

“Now global interest for Nordic bridge-building has increased radically—partly due to an international competition that gets harsher day by day; new challenges are facing us all. It is vital to know that the Fund is standing strong, thanks to the great work of my predecessor Petri Kemppinen and the team at Nordisk Film & TV Fond.”