FremantleMedia hires Shine exec Brown

Endemol Shine Group’s Georgia Brown is headed to FremantleMedia, where she has been hired as senior VP, scripted.

This comes as FremantleMedia seeks to position itself as a key drama and comedy provider.

Brown was previously SVP, acquisitions at Shine International, which is now part of the combined Endemol and Shine sales operation following the production and distribution firms’ merger.

At FremantleMedia, she will work with the RTL Group-owned firm’s distribution teams to create new demand for scripted projects, and with third-party writers and producers on new opportunities.

Brown will also work with in-house teams at Sarah Doole’s Global Drama unit to develop projects for the international market.

The role does not cover North America, where VP of acquisition and development Hayley Dickson and director of acquisition and development Sam Harowitz will continue to oversee all scripted buys.

Brown will report to FremantleMedia International CEO Jens Richter and FremantleMedia’s director of global drama, Sarah Doole, whom she previously worked with at BBC Worldwide.

“I’m delighted to be working with Georgia again,” said Doole. “She brings with her an infectious energy, industry knowledge and passion for drama and comedy. She also gets FremantleMedia’s ambition for scripted and our desire to tell audiences the best stories from around the world.”

It is understood Brown’s departure is to separate from a recent redundancy process that followed the coming together of Shine and Endemol.

“It’s always difficult to leave such a talented group of people, and I’d like to wish the new Endemol Shine Group all the best for the future, but the opportunity to join FremantleMedia at such an exciting time and with their ambitious plans for scripted was something I just couldn’t resist.”

At Shine International, Brown oversaw projects such as Broadchurch and Code of a Killer, and secured a first-look agreement with drama producer Ecosse Films.

Before Shine, she was with the BBC’s commercial arm, BBC Worldwide.

Richter called her “one of the industry’s rising stars”, and added: “She has excellent working relationships with some of the best writing and production talent in the business and a fantastic track record in deal closing.”