Amazon hires FMI’s Brown

Amazon has appointed an executive from FremantleMedia International (FMI) as its director of original television for Europe.

Georgia Brown

Based in London, Georgia Brown will lead the e-commerce giant’s commissioning strategy across Europe, reporting to head of international productions Morgan Wandell.

The news comes only a year after Brown was promoted to exec VP of global scripted and factual content last January, after joining the firm from Shine International in 2015.

Amazon has been ramping up its originals strategy for some time, spending big on Frank Spotnitz drama The Man In The High Castle, which was recently renewed for a third run without Spotnitz on board, and motoring series The Grand Tour, with former Top Gear presenters Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May.

In October the executive team of the company’s streaming arm was reorganised with Wandell, previously head of drama at ABC Studios prior to moving to Amazon in 2013, stepping up to head of international productions overseeing original projects outside the US.

An FMI spokesman told C21: “We can confirm that Georgia Brown is leaving FremantleMedia.

“She will continue to work with us until later in the summer. We will be replacing her and will announce our plans in due course. In the meantime, we’d like to wish Georgia all the best in her new role.”

Brown, formerly an executive at BBC Worldwide (BBCWW), previously oversaw FMI’s acquisitions and provided the link between FMI and its in-house production teams.

The news was first reported by UK trade magazine Broadcast.