Banijay Group has confirmed that Cathy Payne will become the CEO of its distribution arm Banijay Rights after she led Endemol Shine International for nearly five years.
Deadline revealed back in March that Payne would take on the role at Banijay in somewhat of a surprise development after it was announced in October last year that would step down as CEO of Endemol Shine International.
Banijay Group is in the process of acquiring Endemol Shine in a $2.2B deal, meaning Payne will be reunited with her former employer once the takeover clears regulatory hurdles this summer.
Tim Mutimer, who is currently head of distribution at Banijay Group and CEO of Banijay Rights, will move out of the role to become executive vice president of sales and acquisitions in EMEA, reporting to Payne.
Payne starts her new role on April 27, reporting to the Keeping Up With The Kardashians production group’s CEO Marco Bassetti. He described her as an “exceptional leader and incredibly well-respected industry mogul.”
Payne added: “It has never been a more exciting time for content creation and distribution, and I am energised to be joining the team as it embarks on this period of expansion.”
Payne had a nearly thirty-year affiliation with Endemol and its subsidiaries; she was CEO of Endemol Shine International since 2015 and before that she was CEO of Endemol Worldwide Distribution since 2009 and CEO of Southern Star International when it was acquired by Endemol.
There was not a single mention of the Endemol Shine Group takeover in Banijay’s announcement on Payne’s arrival. It follows reports that the production group has explored wriggling out of the deal amid the coronavirus crisis, which has brought most production to a standstill. Banijay remains confident, however, that the takeover is on track to complete this summer.