Xilam Appoints Disney Vet to Exec Team

Xilam Animation has appointed Disney veteran Caterina Gonnelli to the position of executive VP of content.

Joining the company on Monday, January 13, Gonnelli will oversee all editorial aspects of Xilam’s content and will be responsible for strengthening the company’s slate. She will be based at the company’s head office in Paris and will report to CEO Marc du Pontavice.

Gonnelli previously held the role of director of acquisitions and co-productions for the Disney Channels EMEA. She joined The Walt Disney Company in 2012 with an initial remit focused on local acquisitions and productions for the French market, which expanded over the years to include multiterritory pre-buys and co-productions across the EMEA region for Disney Channel, Disney XD and Disney Junior from the identification of new third-party content to negotiation. Gonnelli also previously held positions, including development executive and creative producer, at independent French production companies.

Du Pontavice said: “We are thrilled to add such a remarkable talent to Xilam’s top executives. Caterina has built a very strong profile over the years from development to production, from acquisition to programming, at one of the world’s most prominent kids’ studios. Such invaluable expertise will boost Xilam’s response to a very fast-growing market towards premium kids’ content.”

Gonnelli added: “Xilam Animation has established an impressive, diverse and engaging slate of projects for kids and their families. I’m thrilled to be joining Marc and the team at this exciting time of growth as the company gears up for major new series launches, including Oggy Oggy for Netflix, and to continue shaping the company’s vision and content offering.”