Fremantle’s CEO of Southern Europe Jaime Ondarza to exit after bank scam

Jaime Ondarza

Fremantle’s CEO of Southern Europe, Jaime Ondarza, has reportedly left the company just weeks after being the target of a €940,000 ($1m) bank scam.

Ondarza, who joined Fremantle in January 2023 from ViacomCBS, inadvertently sent almost €940,000 to cyber criminals who posed as a senior exec who needed the funds to complete an acquisition.

Local reports from Italy claimed that having transferred the funds, the exec then got in touch with other Fremantle execs after becoming concerned.

He also contacted local police having become aware of the scam, but the funds could not be traced.

Rome-based Ondarza joined Fremantle in 2023 following a restructure at the group, with oversight of its production businesses in France, Israel (Abot Hameiri), Italy, Portugal and Spain.

He had previously been EVP of Southern Europe, Middle East and Africa and head of streaming in Southern EMEA and Latin America for Paramount, working on the roll-out of streamer Paramount+ and FAST service Pluto TV.