Talpa appoints ITVS exec to lead creative partnerships & format sales

Marble Mania

John de Mol’s Talpa has hired ITV Studios Global Entertainment’s Ingrid Akkerman to become its head of creative partnerships and format sales.

Akkerman was most recently head of sales at ITVSGE and before that had spells at Endemol Shine Group (now Banijay).

Ingrid Akkerman

She will oversee the Talpa Creative Partnership scheme, which has delivered formats including Million Dollar Island and Hunting Season, as well as working across the company’s international format sales.

The Netherlands-based firm has also landed Marina Chikalovets as format sales manager for Talpa’s global team.

Akkerman will report into director of Talpa Global, Sebastian van Barneveld, with whom she previously worked at ITV Studios. He left the UK-based giant to join Talpa in 2020, a year after de Mol split from ITVS.

Van Barneveld said Akkerman and Chikalovets’ “complementary experience and knowledge will enhance the growth of our global format footprint in the coming years.”

Talpa’s slate includes formats such as The Floor, Marble Mania and Avastars.