BBC Worldwide rejigs Europe team, ups Percy

BBC Worldwide has rejigged its European operation, handing Tobi de Graaff a wider role and bringing in Nick Percy to head a new northern Europe unit.

Worldwide, the commercial arm of the UK pubcaster the BBC, said the changes are part of increased investment in the western Europe sales team.

Nick Percy (left) becomes executive VP, northern Europe. Worldwide organises its business along regional lines and this marks the first time it has created a northern Europe-specific unit.

Percy has been running Worldwide’s central and eastern European business. As EVP, Percy will oversee all sales and channels activity in the Nordics and Benelux as well as Worldwide’s recently-formed production unit, BBC Worldwide Productions Nordics.

De Graaff (right), the former ITV Studios and Zodiak Media exec who joined Worldwide in 2014, previously oversaw these territories, but has been handed a new role handling Worldwide’s key global accounts.

Both de Graaff and Percy report to Paul Dempsey, president, global markets, BBCWW.

“With the increasing importance of big customers to the key sales region of western Europe Tobi will now take on additional responsibility for managing these crucial relationships,” Dempsey said.

“The focus in northern Europe is different and Nick’s experience across multiple lines of business, and most recently running our sales operation in central and eastern Europe, will bring additional focus to the region and help us grow our already excellent relationship with consumers and clients.”