French TV giant Banijay is losing its second C-suite exec in just over a month.
The company has confirmed to Variety that COO Peter Langenberg is departing, with his last day set to be March 31. Langenberg will remain with Banijay on a consultancy basis in the ESG (environment, social and governance) space. Reasons for his departure were not disclosed.
“Banijay has been my home for eight years and it has been a total pleasure working with the hugely talented leaders and producers across the footprint globally. Together with Stéphane, Marco, and the broader executive team, I have watched the group grow exponentially and I feel incredibly fortunate to have been part of the business’ journey in becoming the largest European studio,” said Langenberg. “In that time, ESG has become increasingly important for both us as a business, and the content industry at-large, and I look forward to working with Edouard to drive tangible, positive change in this space. While I step down from my role as COO, it’s not really goodbye, and I welcome the new challenge and opportunity to continue working with my brilliant colleagues, some of whom I now consider friends.”
Langenberg was appointed COO in November 2016. Prior to joining Banijay he was VP business management at Warner Bros International TV Production, a role he held from 2011 to 2016. Before that, he was COO for R&D Media Holding and 3 Circles Media Holding.
“As a key member of the executive team, [Peter] was integral to our growth and operations since the start. Partnering with our respective country CEOs to drive productivity and expansion across the UK, Benelux, Germany, Poland, India, Israel and New Zealand, he was also charged with the smooth running of our IT, insurance, and procurement activity,” said CEO Marco Bassetti. “A driving force behind key projects including the joint venture and subsequent integration of Banijay Asia and Endemol Shine India; the launch of Banijay Germany and integration between Brainpool and Banijay Germany; the Endemol Shine Group integration project management; and the introduction of Banijay Brands, he has been a key support for Stéphane, I, and the wider team. Recently setting our E(nvironment) S(ocial) G(overnance) strategy, he will now take on a consultancy role to work with our newly appointed ESG Director, Edouard Minc, in the effective roll-out of our plans.”
The news comes five weeks after Variety broke the news that Owain Walbyoff was stepping down from Banijay as COO. The company also saw its global head of scripted, Christian Wikander, step down earlier this year.
