Small World hires ex-Zodiak exec in rejig

Formats distributor Small World IFT has hired a former Zodiak Rights VP to become its head of European sales, as senior VP Luci Burnley exits the Content Media-backed business.

Tara Gaule has been hired as VP, format sales and development, Europe, working out of Small World’s London base and reporting to president Tim Crescenti.

Further news sees Henny Adolfsdottir promoted from sales executive to a wider role handling the Nordics, Baltics, Turkey, Greece and Poland.

Gaule’s hire comes as former Banijay International exec Burnley, who has been with Small World since 2013, left the business at the turn of the year.

It is understood Burnley made the decision to leave, and has been consulting for Small World since that point.

Gaule has 15 years’ experience selling international programming in Europe. She was most recently VP, sales at Banijay Group-owned Zodiak Rights, a role in which she oversaw sales in Germany, the Middle East and French-speaking Canada, but left in March 2015.

Before Zodiak, she was senior sales executive at DRG.

“Tara brings fantastic knowledge and enthusiasm to the role, as well as a wealth of contacts in key European territories,” said Crescenti, who founded Small World with Colleen Crescenti in 2005. “We have grown our European business tremendously in the last few years and as we know Europe is a crucial market.”

Small World is heading to MIPTV in two weeks with new formats including Chinese effort Super Combat Teams, which goes out on Jiangsu Satellite Channel.