Tag: Owain Walbyoff

  • Gabriella Carriere climbs higher at Fremantle with expanded global strategy and new biz brief

    Gabriella Carriere climbs higher at Fremantle with expanded global strategy and new biz brief

    MUMBAI: Fremantle has handed group head of strategy Gabriella Carriere a power-packed promotion, expanding her remit to include new business in addition to her current strategic responsibilities. She now takes charge as group head of strategy and new business, reporting to group COO and CEO continental Europe Andrea Scrosati.

    With the new hat, Carriere will now command Fremantle’s most lucrative growth levers — including sports, branded content and licensing, music rights, live events, and its vast library of IP — all while continuing to lead the company’s global strategy agenda. Reporting into her are director of Fremantle Sport Owain Walbyoff and global head of branded content & sponsorships Gabriella Zamboni.

    Since joining Fremantle in 2022, Carriere has been at the forefront of major moves, from launching the documentaries division to shaping the Fremantle Sports unit, driving branded entertainment, and integrating global M&A footprints.
     

    Scrosati commented: “I am delighted to announce Gabriella’s promotion to Group Head of Strategy and New Business. I have been working with Gabriella for many years and highly admire her analytical and business skills and her innovative approach to define and drive strategy. I have no doubts that in this new expanded role Gabriella will drive even more value for Fremantle and her teams.”

    Carriere added: “I am deeply grateful to Fremantle’s leadership team for their trust in me and for this incredible opportunity. I strongly believe in the growth potential of these areas and in the outstanding team currently driving this forward. I’m excited to collaborate with the Fremantle labels and the talented Fremantle teams to unlock many opportunities across our global footprint. I am proud of our achievements over the last three years and now I look forward to what we can accomplish together going forward.”

    Before Fremantle, Carriere made waves at Sky Italia, where she spearheaded landmark deals for Serie A and the UEFA Champions League, inked game-changing partnerships with Netflix and Disney, and helped launch Sky’s broadband business. Her career roots lie in the energy sector, with senior stints at EDF and Edison across Milan and Paris.

    Now with the full force of Fremantle’s revenue-generating verticals under her belt, Carriere looks set to play a starring role in the company’s next act.

  • Fremantle launches Fremantle Sports, a dedicated sports content unit

    Fremantle launches Fremantle Sports, a dedicated sports content unit

    MUMBAI:  Content production and format powerhouse Fremantle has established Fremantle Sports, a new division dedicated to the creation of sports-related content. The unit will focus on unscripted and scripted projects, including factual documentaries and digital formats, leveraging the expertise of Fremantle’s existing entertainment, documentary, drama, and film teams.

    Owain Walbyoff has been appointed director of sports, and will lead the strategy to expand Fremantle’s global sports content portfolio. He will focus on partnerships with rights holders, brands, and co-production deals.
    Fremantle Sports will support the company’s network of labels, including 72 Films, UFA, and TalkbackThames, in the development of sports-themed entertainment, scripted, and factual content. The unit will also explore the creation of new cross-platform sports formats for global distribution.

    “This expansion into sports content aligns with our broader growth strategy, building on the success of our drama, film, and documentary divisions,” stated Fremantle  global CEO Jennifer Mullin. “We aim to deliver compelling sports stories and formats to audiences worldwide.”

    Fremantle Sports will build upon the company’s existing sports content portfolio, which includes productions such as All or Nothin and Matildas: The World At Our Feet.

     The unit will focus on producing content that highlights the human stories behind athletes, teams, and sports organisations.