Banijay revamps in France, landing ITV Studios exec as COO & reshuffling ALP team

Survivor

Banijay has overhauled its management team in France by appointing ITV Studios exec Sébastien Petiot and Adventure Line Productions (ALP)’s Delphine Plantive to senior roles.

Petiot becomes COO at Banijay France, while Plantive has been named director of editorial strategy & new business, both reporting to Alexia Laroche-Joubert, who was named CEO in June.

Delphine Plantive

She replaced François de Brugada, who stepped down after eight years in the role to take up a new position at parent company FL Entertainment leading the nascent Banijay Events unit, which houses recent acquisition Balich Wonder Studio.

Banijay France appointments

Petiot will work with Laroche-Joubert to oversee Banijay France’s strategy, supporting all 15 labels within the French portfolio, which produced almost 2,700 hours of programming last year.

He joins following six years with ITV Studios France, departing last year and replaced by former Newen exec Céline Roux.

He has also had stints at TF1 as head of non-scripted and joined ALP in 2006, working on local versions of Banijay’s Wife Swap and Survivor (Koh Lanta) before leaving for ITVS.

Plantive, meanwhile, will oversee editorial co-ordination of all Banijay France’s companies, which will include initiating partnerships, securing new talent and business opportunities.

She had been director of creation, development & diversification at ALP since 2011, and prior to that, spent eight years as director of development at Endemol.

ALP rejig

The rejig has also resulted in a rejig of management at ALP, with Frédéric Lussato promoted to president and Julien Magne becoming MD.

Lussato was previously MD at ALP, while Magne has been promoted from director of programmes. They will jointly lead the prodco’s strategy and oversee shows such as TF1’s Koh Lanta and France 2’s Fort Boyard.

Laroche-Joubert said Petiot and Plantive’s appointments would “bring extensive industry experience and knowledge to their new positions, and these skills will be invaluable as we strive to meet our common objectives: to deliver outstanding growth, with a strong content offering across all platforms, and to foster the best possible support for our producers, creatives and labels.”

Aside from ALP, Banijay France houses Air Productions, Banijay Productions France, DMLS TV, Endemol France, H2O Productions, KM Production and Tooco on the unscripted side.

Scripted labels include Banijay Studio France, Shine Fiction, Fiction’Air, Marathon Studio, Terence Films, Montmartre Films and Screen Line Productions, the latter set up by Laroche-Joubert and Frédéric Lussato in June.