Gaumont hires France TV exec for sales

France Télévisions Distribution exec Laura Laas is joining Gaumont as VP of international TV sales for animation.

This will see Laas selling Gaumont toons such as Belle & Sebastian, Trulli Tales and Furry Wheels in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and North America, and working closely with animation president Nicolas Atlan and his team.

Laas will also work on worldwide coproductions, and report to president of worldwide TV distribution and coproduction Vanessa Shapiro, who recently relocated the Gaumont sales team from Europe to LA.

Her first market with Gaumont will be next week’s MIFA event in Annecy, France.

“We have seen significant growth in our animation business over the past year, with three new kids series close to completion, and three recently announced projects in development with several more to be unveiled in the coming months,” said former Sonar Entertainment exec Shapiro.

“Laura’s extensive industry background and expertise will be of paramount importance as we roll out these completed series and finalise coproduction partnerships for our new development slate.”

Laas joins from France Télévisions’ sales arm, where she was international sales manager. There she created and oversaw global sales strategies for animated programming.

She has also worked for the European arm of Japan’s Toei Animation and Warner Bros. Entertainment.

Gaumont’s animation catalogue comprises a total of more than 800 half-hours, with series such as Netflix’s F is For Family, Calimero and DreamWorks Animation coproduction Noddy on the slate.