Fremantle up Jens Richter to oversee all commercial, incl FAST

Jens Richter

Fremantle has handed Jens Richter an expanded remit, promoting him to CEO of commercial and international.

Having served as CEO of international since joining Fremantle in 2014, Richter’s new duties include responsibility for all commercial activity, including the company’s digital and social business and expanding FAST channels activity.

Fremantle’s FAST offering includes Buzzr as well as channels based on IP including Jamie Oliver,  Baywatch and American Idol. Fremantle has also recently launched genre channels Quip, Sleuth, Places and Spaces and Cook, Chop, Chat.  The digital business creates original social content for all major platforms, which includes an audience of 470 million on 1,500 social accounts across Facebook and YouTube, according to Fremantle.

Richter will also continue his current duties, overseeing global distribution of Fremantle’s finished programme catalogue, international content and acquisitions, and co-production strategy models.

He will be based in London, reporting to Group CEO Jennifer Mullin, and will sit on Fremantle’s global leadership team. TBI understands that the commerical title is a new role, centralising the two business units, and no-one is exiting as a result of Richter’s promotion.

Mullin, who is to keynote the Banff World Media Festival this year, said: “Jens is an outstanding and commercially savvy executive, with extensive knowledge and experience of the international market. I am delighted that he has taken on this expanded role in our business, giving us laser-focus on all commercial activity under his astute leadership.”

Richter added: “I am delighted to be taking on this expanded role and am excited about the opportunities we can create as one central commercial and international business unit. The digital and FAST space provides an opportunity for us to make an even bigger impact in the direct-to-consumer space, I am looking forward to the success we can build on here.”