NBCU, BBC execs in as Cake expands sales team

UK-based kids TV distributor has a new head of sales, and has hired former NBCUniversal (NBCU) and BBC Worldwide (BBCWW) executives to expand the team.

Bianca Rodriguez (pictured) has been upped to sales chief, having joined the company in 2011.

Working under her will be Julien Farçat, a former sales manager at NBCU, and Franscesca de Nicolo, who was previously a worked as a TV and format sales support exec at the BBC’s commercial arm.

Farçat will be sales manager for French-speaking territories, Asia and Eastern Europe and de Nicolo becomes sales executive for the Middle East, Africa, Turkey, Greece, Israel and in-flight.

“Bianca’s appointment and our expansion are both key in supporting Cake’s growing slate of programming,” said Cake managing director and COO Ed Galton.

Cake programmes include Netflix coproduction Bottersnikes & Gumbles, TeamTO-produced Angelo Rules, action comedy Totally Drama and Channel 5 preschool series Toby’s Travelling Circus.

The company last week secured a deal comprising more than 500 episodes with Virgin Media’s new kids app.