Goldberg makes first Banijay hire

Long-serving Endemol USA development chief Caroline Baumgard is to reunite with former boss David Goldberg at Banijay Group, as the pair aims to build up the French firm’s stateside business.

Baumgard has been named chief creative officer at the newly established Banijay Studios North America, and starts her new role with immediate effect.

She left Endemol in January – shortly after Goldberg stood down as chairman and CEO of the company’s North American operations – but will now once again report to him, with responsibility for developing original content across multiple genres.

Baumgard joined Endemol USA in 2001 and spearheaded unscripted development and adaptation of international formats. She worked on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and Wipeout for ABC and Deal or No Deal for NBC among others over more than a decade working together with Goldberg, who resurfaced at Banijay last month.

“I was one of the first hires David made at Endemol and we had an incredible 13 year run. I look forward to creating original network, syndicated and cable hits as well as adapting and developing Banijay’s many successes from around the world,” said Baumgard of her new role today.

Goldberg has been charged with establishing Banijay Studios North America as the company’s second production entity in the territory, alongside Bunim/Murray Productions, which joined the group in 2010 – the same year UK indie Zig Zag was briefly part of the portfolio before a parting of the ways.

Part of Goldberg’s remit is also expanding the group further in English-language markets and in Latin America, reporting to group CEO Marco Bassetti – himself a former long-serving Endemol staffer who rose to president before leaving two years ago, landing at Banijay 12 months later.

Now CEO of Banijay Studios North America and president of Banijay Group, Goldberg said of Baumgard: “Caroline’s experience, contacts and creative instincts will play a vital role in the development of this exciting new company with the bi-product resulting in the creation of formats that will travel abroad and help fuel the growth of our global business.”

Banijay, along with large producer/distributor rivals FremantleMedia and Zodiak Media, is coming under increasing pressure from the latest spate of M&A activity across the media and entertainment sector, with All3Media being taken over by Discovery Communications and Liberty Global, plus Shine, Core Media and Endemol potentially set to unite as one global powerhouse.