Animal Planet taps ex-ITV Studios exec for GM

US cable channel Animal Planet has hired ITV Studios America’s east coast COO as its new general manager.

Patrice Andrews succeeds Rick Holzman, who left the Discovery Communications-owned network in November 2015 having held the GM post since 2014.

Andrews joins Animal Planet in June, reporting to Rich Ross, group president of Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and Science Channel. She will be based in New York.

This comes after Marjorie Kaplan moved from the US to London to run Discovery Networks International’s content division and Ross became group Animal Planet president.

Andrews was most recently at ITVS America’s east coast arm, where she oversaw strategy, creative oversight, pilots and series.

During eleven years at ITV’s US arm (which is now known as ITV America), she developed series such as MTV’s Room Raiders, A&E’s The First 48 and Discovery Channel’s Rebel Gold.

Before ITV, Andrews worked at A&E as an executive producer, and has also held senior roles at MetroTV, Discovery Themed Entertainment and in special projects for Discovery Networks.