Peter Urie New TV-Loonland Chief Corporate Development Officer
Peter Urie joins Munich-based TV-Loonland as chief corporate development officer, culminating a succession of high profile appointments the company has made in the last week.
Urie will be based in TV-Loonlands London office, covering strategic business development and will identify smaller companies to buy and integrate within TV-Loonland, to help grow the companys portfolio. His also will be md at Metrodome (TV-Loonland acquired in 2002), overseeing and managing its video and theatrical distribution business. Past Metrodome titles include the Oscar-winning MONSTER, DONNIE DARKO, SPELLBOUND and HUMAN TRAFFIC.
This marks a new expansion time for the production/distributor, which went through an aggressive acquisition phase in early 2000, when it acquired Sunbow Ent., Telemagination, Salsa Dist. and Sony Wonder. All activities at that time were gauged toward kids/family entertainment, while its 2002 acquisition of Metrodome positioned the company to expand into the adult arena as well.
Urie will play a key role along with ceo/president, Selma Käppel, coo Olivier Dumont and cfo Karl W. Homburg, in shaping TV-Loonland into what they hope to be the leading independent production/distribution outfit.
Uries extensive television background includes working for the BBC in various roles for 12 years before founding TSS Ltd. and Media Merchants Ltd., along with two other partners. Both companies specialized in creating childrens content for ITV and the BBC, becoming one of the largest independent, award-winning producers of childrens programs in the U.K. Gullane Ent. Plc. acquired both companies and subsequently sold them to HIT Ent. Plc. in August 2002, where Urie continued as vp, group head of production (Europe), and continued as md of TSS and Media Merchants.
At HIT, Urie was responsible for much of the groups European production activities, including classic brands such as ART ATTACK, THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE, FIREMAN SAM and SOOTY, now in its 52nd year of production.
I am delighted to welcome Peter to TV-Loonland, said Käppel. He is a true professional with years of experience in this business. I have no doubt that he will be a valued member of our team and I am very much looking forward to working with him.
TV-Loonland used Howard R. Lipson, Ph.D. and Lipson & Co. for executive recruiting and consulting services on this senior management hire, as well as the other recently announced positions.
TV-Loonland (www.loonland.com) is an integrated media company and counts among the leading international producer/distributors of animation for children, youth and families. With its own development teams and production facilities in Continental Europe, Great Britain and the U.S., a comprehensive rights catalog as well as a worldwide operating distribution team, TV-Loonland has today become a world leader among the independent majors in the industry.