Kyriacou lands new ITV role

ITV Studios (ITVS) has promoted Maria Kyriacou to the newly created role of president of international.

Maria Kyriacou

Reporting to ITVS MD Julian Bellamy, Kyriacou will lead all ITVS’s international prodcos – excluding ITV America – and takes charge of ITV Studios Global Entertainment (ITVSGE) and ITV’s international scripted strategy. This includes ITV Studios America.

She was given wider responsibilities in 2014 to handle ITV’s production operations outside the UK and US.

ITV Studios America head Philippe Maigret will now report to Kyriacou and becomes a strategic advisor on ITVS’s worldwide scripted strategy.

“Growing our global footprint is one of the key pillars of our strategy and a crucial part of this is scripted,” said Bellamy, who recently took over the ITVS MD post from Kevin Lygo, who is now ITV director of television.

“The global demand for world-class drama continues and this structure will allow us to take even greater advantage of the many opportunities around the world.

“This is a richly deserved promotion; Maria has vast experience of the international market and has expertly guided ITVSGE and our European and Australian studios through a strong period of growth.”

Kyriacou, a former Disney exec, added: “This strengthens our international network and allows us to build on the great experience we have had working with some of the world’s leading creative talent and networks.”

In December, ITV appointed Brent Montgomery as CEO of ITV America, as revealed by C21. The founder of Leftfield Entertainment oversees ITV’s US group of businesses, the largest independent producer of non-scripted content in America.

Maigret, ITV Studios America’s president since he joined the company in August 2015, will continue to work with Montgomery on an operational basis.