Endemol Shine NA unveils top team

Endemol Shine North America, the US division of the recently merged Endemol Shine Group, has finalised its new executive management structure.

Charlie Corwin

As previously announced, Charlie Corwin and Cris Abrego will lead as co-chairmen and co-CEOs of the company, with many senior execs from Endemol and Shine staying on.

Ben Samek, previously chief operating officer (COO) for Endemol North America, has been named COO for Endemol Shine North America, reporting to both Corwin and Abrego.

Eden Gaha, who was previously president of unscripted television at Shine America, now has the same role for the JV, also reporting to the co-chairmen.

However, Philippe Maigret, who helped launch and establish Endemol Studios and was its CEO since August 2011, is stepping down and moving into a consultancy role.

Corwin and Abrego’s teams will oversee a programming line-up of more than 1,000 hours of series including Big Brother (CBS); MasterChef and MasterChef Junior (Fox); The Biggest Loser (NBC); Hell on Wheels (AMC); Kingdom (DirecTV); Wipeout (ABC); and nationally syndicated Steve Harvey.

Cris Abrego

Endemol Shine North America subsidiary production companies include Authentic Entertainment (Flipping Out), Original Media (Ink Master), True Entertainment (The Real Housewives of Atlanta, Vanity Fair Confidential) and 51 Minds Entertainment (Below Deck, TI & Tiny: The Family Hustle).

In other exec changes, Rob Smith, previously exec VP of creative affairs for Endemol US, has been promoted to exec VP and head of unscripted television and will report to Gaha.

Vivi Zigler, previously president of Shine 360° and digital at Shine America, has been named president of digital, brand and audience development and will report to Abrego and Corwin. Will Keenan will remain president of Endemol Beyond USA and report to Zigler.

Carolyn G Bernstein, exec VP of scripted programming at Shine America, and Jeremy Gold, exec VP of creative affairs, Endemol Studios, will continue in their roles in the newly merged Endemol Shine Studios. Both Bernstein and Gold will report to Corwin and Abrego.

John Farrell will serve as general counsel for Endemol Shine North America. Farrell previously served in the same capacity at Endemol USA and will now report to both Abrego and Corwin.

As previously announced, Core Media Group will continue to retain its own capital structure within the new joint venture, headed by Peter Hurwitz as president.

The North American development comes a week after the group revealed its first production label, to be headed by former BBC exec producer Phillippa Giles, as well as plans for its Iberian structure.

Endemol Shine Group was formed late last year by the merger of Endemol, Shine and Core Media, with the firm’s wider structure revealed in December.