ProSiebenSat.1’s entertainment co-CEO steps down

The co-CEO of ProSiebenSat.1’s entertainment division has revealed she is to step down from her position at the German broadcaster after just a year in the role.

Michaela Tod joined ProSieben in February last year following a management revamp under CEO Max Conze that saw its entertainment arm split off as a standalone company.

Tod – who had worked with Conze at vacuum manufacturer Dyson prior to joining the German broadcaster – headed up entertainment with co-CEO Wolfgang Link, but will leave in July citing “personal reasons.”

Michaela Tod

She oversaw ProSieben’s entertainment business and was primarily responsible for managing commercial affairs, taking on the remit of sales and marketing chief Sabina Eckhardt who left in 2019.

Prior to ProSieben, Tod had spent 14 years with Dyson, looking after the Chinese market for the last three years and working closely with e-commerce and digital platforms such as Alibaba and Tencent.

Conze said Tod and Link had “set up the entertainment pillar in a future-oriented and efficient manner” that meant the business was now “much more agile” but admitted regret at her imminent exit.

Tod added: “My decision was anything but easy, because I am leaving a very exciting company and a great team. Unfortunately, there are private reasons for the decision [but] I am still here until summer and we still have a lot of plans that I’m looking forward to fulfilling.”

The German broadcaster has struggled with advertising revenues over the past year and is also in the midst of selling off production division Red Arrow Studios, with All3Media and AMC most recently leading the pursuit to acquire.