CEO exits Zodiak’s Yellow Bird

Anni Faurbye Fernandez is to leave her post as CEO of Zodiak Media’s Swedish prodco Yellow Bird in order to launch her own TV and film production firm.

Fernandez has been with Yellow Bird since 2008 and been CEO since January 2012, but is moving on to launch a Denmark-based producer. Zodiak Nordic chief executive Johannes Jensen will add her duties to his remit as a result.

Fernandez will remain as an executive producer on a number of Yellow Bird scripted projects, which include the upcoming Occupied, the political drama for TV2 in Norway and Arte in France that Zodiak Rights is launching at MIPCOM in October.

While at Yellow Bird, Fernandez’s credits include the original Girl with the Dragon Tattoo franchise, the American movie remake, Norwegian crime thriller Headhunters, and the Swedish Wallander series and its BBC remake.

“High quality drama is an important part of Zodiak Media’s strategy and Yellow Bird is one of the leading drama production companies in the world,” said Zodiak Media Marc-Antoine d’Halluin. “I’m convinced they will continue to deliver great and exciting concepts such as our new series Occupied.

“I also would like to thank Anni for her time as CEO for Yellow Bird and I’m looking forward to continue to work with her in this new arrangement.”

Incoming CEO Jensen, who has been Zodiak Nordic CEO since 2011, said keeping Fernandez as an executive producer would allow Yellow Bird to “carry on” with its strategy, “which should see the launch of more high quality dramas in the near future”.

“It has been very exciting to lead Yellow Bird and we have a lot of promising projects in development,” said Fernandez. “I am very happy that I will continue to follow these projects as an executive producer. At the same time, I am very excited at the prospect of building up a Danish production company.”