Boelhouwer to exit Endemol Shine formats unit

Iris Boelhouwer will exit Endemol Shine Group, as the company merges its creative networks units and splits out formats distribution.

Boelhouwer (left) was Endemol’s managing director, creative operations before the merger of her firm, Shine Group and Core Media.

However, she has decided to leave after she oversees the integration of her old division with Shine Network, Shine’s formats development unit.

A newly-combined Amsterdam-based creative team, Endemol Shine Creative Networks, will be led by Lisa Perrin, who was previously MD of Shine Networks. Perrin will report to ESG president Tim Hincks.

“We owe huge thanks to Iris whose creative leadership has been key to ensuring that Endemol’s hits have travelled fast across the company’s network to markets around the world,” said Hincks. “We wish her every success for when she moves on to new adventures in the summer.”

“Lisa has a natural creative instinct for what makes a format work and how it can be adapted in different markets,” he added. “The strength of her leadership is underlined by the outstanding operation she ran at Shine and I’m thrilled that she will be heading up our newly united creative team.”

Format sales and acquisitions are being split out, with Ana Langenberg taking on a bigger role as global head of format distribution. She will report to ESG group commercial officer Boudewijn Beusmans.

Langenberg’s team will operate separately to Cathy Payne’s Endemol Shine International, which handles finished programming, and will focus on international sales and acquisitions of scripted and non-scripted formats, as well as supporting the roll-out of formats in territories where ESG has local prodcos.

Boelhouwer first joined Endemol in 1994 and has held various posts, including executive producer and creative director of Endemol Netherlands. She also spent five years at Dutch broadcaster SBS, and has been MD of creative operations since 2010.

Perrin, meanwhile, succeeded Claudia Danser as MD of Shine Networks last year after the latter decided to move into executive coaching, as TBI revealed at the time.

Perrin joined Shine in 2009 as creative director of UK subsidiary Shine TV. She had previously worked at Endemol, its subsidiary Tiger Aspect Productions, and UK broadcasters UKTV and the BBC.

Langenberg first joined Endemol in 1998, working her way up the formats business to become distribution chief in 2010.

“Ana has played a leading role in the success of Endemol’s format distribution business including numerous deals that have helped establish new operations in key markets,” said Beusmans. “Her experience and track record make her ideally suited to lead our format distribution and acquisitions as we enter a new phase with more resources and IP to offer partners around the world.”

The changes are the latest in a long line of developments that have followed the formation of a merged production and distribution giant under 21^st Century Fox and Apollo Global Management.