TeamTO has appointed Marco Balsamo as president and CEO following its acquisition by RIVA Studios Productions in December 2024.<\/p>\n
The Italian-American filmmaker and entrepreneur will now oversee TeamTO\u2019s operations, balancing executive and creative responsibilities while positioning the studio for growth in a rapidly evolving animation industry. Balsamo co-founded RIVA Studios with Tara Sibel Demren.<\/p>\n
Last year, the Italian production company partnered with Jay Oliva of Lex & Otis and investor Peter Bekkerman to form a new ownership group with the sole purpose of securing the studio\u2019s long-term future.<\/p>\n
The acquisition coincides with TeamTO\u2019s 20th anniversary.<\/p>\n
RIVA Studios retained 90 percent of the studio\u2019s employees. The new management structure includes long-term TeamTO executives Cl\u00e9lia Santi (head of studios, Paris, now located at 20 Rue de la Pierre Lev\u00e9e); Carole Toledo (head of studios, Valence); Jean-Baptiste Spieser (chief technology officer); Olivier Plazas (art director); and Fanny Weber (executive producer).<\/p>\n
Other key roles include Sibel Demren and Oliva as executive producers and Marco Balsamo as producer.<\/p>\n
Balsamo commented, \u201cThis studio has built a remarkable legacy, and we\u2019re committed to ensuring its long-term success. We also want to expand our reach to international partners, strengthen our presence in the global animation industry and establish TeamTO as a leader in both original content and premium production services.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe way this deal came together\u2014so serendipitously, so quickly\u2014still feels surreal,\u201d said Balsamo. \u201cIn an industry where animation studios are struggling, talented animators are being laid off and decades of work are at risk of vanishing, we couldn\u2019t let a studio with TeamTO\u2019s pedigree be lost. We\u2019ve always championed the independent spirit of filmmaking, and TeamTO embodies that same spirit. I couldn\u2019t ask for a better team with whom to embark on this adventure.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
TeamTO has appointed Marco Balsamo as president and CEO following its acquisition by RIVA Studios Productions in December 2024.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":350,"featured_media":29170,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[10547,95],"class_list":["post-29167","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-top-stories","tag-marco-balsamo","tag-teamto","pmpro-has-access"],"yoast_head":"\n