Warner hires ex-All3 veteran for unscripted sales

Warner Bros. International Television Production has hired long-serving All3Media International sales exec Liza Thompson to replace Al de Azpiazu, TBI has learned.

Thompson (pictured) exited All3’s global arm, where she was senior VP of international sales, in December 2015, and has now become executive director, sales at WBITVP, Warner Bros.’s international TV operation.

She had worked at All3 and its predecessor companies for almost 19 years, most recently overseeing the execs that sell into the UK, central and eastern Europe, Spain, Portugal, Scandinavia and Latin America.

For the past few months, it is understood she has been consulting at another UK-based distributor, DRG.

At WBITVP, she will be responsible for all non-scripted sales in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, reporting to Tom McClellan, VP of worldwide sales.

De Azpiazu previously oversaw sales into EMEA and Latin America as executive director of sales, but was recently hired as VP, sales and distribution for western Europe at FremantleMedia International.

His exit had followed that of sales director Jess Khanom, who is now head of global format sales at Fox Networks Group.

WBITVP’s unscripted sale includes British and American series such First Dates, The Bachelor, Who Do You Think You Are? and Impractical Jokers.

The company houses the former Eyeworks Group, which was purchased in 2014 primarily to extend the group’s global production capabilities, and the former Shed Media, which is now known as Warner Bros. Television Production UK. It also incorporates Netherlands-based formats creator BlazHoffski.