ITVS America adds to development team

ITV Studios America (ITVSA) has bolstered its development team, hiring a former Zoo Productions and GRB Entertainment exec to become executive director of development.

Jane Yusim will work with ITVSA senior VP of creative strategy Bruce Robertson, developing new programming for US broadcast and cable networks. She will report to VP of development Paul Reaney, who joined from FremantleMedia in June.

The appointment is the latest in ITVSA’s expansion efforts. The US production arm of the UK commercial broadcaster has signed a string of development deals with third-party producers, including Stander Productions, Beinstock Young and Show 5 Productions, over the past six months.

Yusmin joins ITVSA from Zoo Productions, where she was also executive director of development. Prior to that, at GRB she developed, cast and sold Confessions: Animal Hoarding to Animal Planet.

“Jane has terrific instincts and understands the development process and she will bring a diverse slate of ideas to the company,” said Robertson, who left ITV’s UK office for Los Angeles earlier this year.

This week at Mipcom in Cannes, the company’s international sales arm announced that ITVSA/Universal Media Studios’ reversion of UK crime drama Prime Suspect had sold into 30 markets.