ITV Studios U.S. Group Put in Place

LONDON: Following on the heels of ITV's acquisition of Gurney Productions, High Noon Entertainment and Thinkfactory Media, the company has established the ITV Studios U.S. Group, which also includes the existing ITV Studios America business.

The group will be led by a leadership team chaired by Paul Buccieri, the president and CEO of ITV Studios U.S. Group and managing director of ITV Studios International.

Julie Meldal-Johnsen has been named executive VP of operations and Ivan Garel-Jones as the executive VP of business affairs. Both were already with the company. Oliver De La Hoz joins from PricewaterhouseCoopers as the executive VP of finance, taking up the role later this month.

Kevin Lygo, the managing director of ITV Studios, said, “Under Paul’s leadership we have continued to make great progress in building a strong international content business, an important part of ITV’s Transformation Plan. The creation of this new Leadership Team will further underpin the momentum Paul has built as we continue to drive forward the expansion of the ITV Studios U.S. Group.”

“Along with this new Leadership Team I am excited to continue working with Gurney Productions, High Noon Entertainment, Thinkfactory Media and ITV Studios America to expand on their success and build on their growth—it is a real pleasure working with this dynamic group of companies,” Buccieri added. “I’m delighted that Julie and Ivan have moved up in the business; their expertise and knowledge of the industry, particularly in the US, will be invaluable. I’m thrilled to welcome Oliver to the team, his experience in both the media industry and mergers and acquisitions will be a real asset as we gain more momentum in this important market.”