BBC Studios Appoints for International Formats & Production

BBC Studios has named Fiona Wassenberg as head of BBC Studios Benelux production and Isabel Durán as format sales director for Iberia and Latin America.

Wassenberg is responsible for BBC Studios’ formats and production business across Benelux. Wassenberg will work closely with BBC Studios’ unscripted format partners in the market, as well as commissioners and producers in the region. She is based in Amsterdam. Prior to joining BBC Studios, Wassenberg spent nearly 16 years at the Dutch public broadcaster Omroep MAX, most recently as commissioning editor and content acquisitions.

Wassenberg said: “For the past ten years, I have had the opportunity to work closely with BBC Studios and their partner Fremantle on the local version of The Great Bake Off, Junior Bake Off and Extra Slice. I’m thrilled to be joining BBC Studios, working on these and many other strong formats and brands from their catalog. I am proud to use the knowledge I’ve gained while working with numerous amazing production companies and public broadcaster colleagues in my new position.”

Durán is responsible for securing unscripted and scripted format sales across Spain, Portugal and Spanish-speaking Latin America. Durán has more than 20 years of experience in development, production and as director of content, including serving as executive producer she has worked on series such as Married at First Sight for Antena 3 and El líder de la Manada with César Millán for Cuatro.

Durán said: “I am pleased to join BBC Studios and use my knowledge and experience to bring fantastic new stories and entertainment to audiences across Iberia and Latin America. I am looking forward to building new partnerships and meeting customers during MIPCOM.”

André Renaud, senior VP of global format sales, said: “I’m delighted to have both Fiona and Isabel joining BBC Studios as we continue to grow our expertise in key markets around the world. Both Fiona and Isabel bring a wealth of experience in their regions, and I am confident that this will build strong partnerships across Europe and Latin America in the months to come. These appointments represent our commitment and ambition to work closely to find stories and shows that can be adapted worldwide, building on BBC Studios’ 100 years of expertise that we continue to support and share around the world.”