Banijay hires for Benelux as Endemol Shine’s Boudewijn Beusmans departs

Peter Lubbers

Banijay has appointed former SBS and RTL exec Peter Lubbers to lead its operations across a newly created Benelux division, with Endemol Shine Netherlands CEO and its northern Europe chairman Boudewijn Beusmans leaving the business.

Lubbers will take up the newly created role of CEO at Banijay Benelux from 1 August and will be responsible for leading on the strategy and management of the group’s portfolio.

He joins from Concept Street, which he founded in 2018 together with Roy Aalderink and MGM. Before that, Lubbers was director of television at SBS Group, programme director at RTL 7, general manager at Zodiak Media and media director at AVRO.

Banijay Benelux formation & Beusmans exit

The newly-formed Banijay Benelux comprises Zodiak Netherlands, Zodiak Belgium and EndemolShine Netherlands and the associated Dutch production companies, including Simpel Media, NL Film, TVBV and Human Factor.

It is behind programming including Expeditie Robinson, Op1 and M, while also producing local versions of formats such as Hunted, Good Times Bad Times, Temptation Island and Big Brother, which originated in the Netherlands.

The revamp sees Endemol Shine Netherlands CEO Beusmans departing the business, having been with Endemol since 2005.

He has held various positions during his time with the company both prior to and following its merger with Shine, including head of legal affairs and business affairs officer, global head of legal & corporate secretary, and group commercial officer.

He has been in his current role since 2015, which was expanded in 2018 to include additional responsibilities across the region as Endemol Shine’s chairman for Northern Europe. He remains in post until 30 November to assist with the transition.

Marco Bassetti, Banijay CEO, said: “As we scale up our operations in the region, we wanted to welcome a leader who is tapped into the local industry, is familiar with the numerous clients, and can work collaboratively with our labels to ensure creative excellence and leading positions in their respective markets.

“Peter has the entrepreneurial spirit our business was built on and the tenacity to drive a successful operation for us there. The team would also like to thank Boudewijn for his incredibly valuable contribution to the business – he leaves us a strong brand with an unrivalled track record.”

Lubbers added: “I’m looking forward to getting started at Banijay, where, across Benelux, we are fortunate to have a rich and vast collection of production labels, genres, formats and talent. With collaboration a priority, we will work together to optimise the identity and offering of the group here, while inspiring, entertaining and bringing the best stories to our audiences.”

Beusmans said: “It has been a privilege to spend the past five years as CEO, while also working closely with the teams in Germany and Scandinavia. It is now time for new challenges in a new environment. With its creative and talented team, EndemolShine has an unbelievably strong market position and an exceptionally exciting future ahead – I wish Peter all the best.”