Former Telia Play exec Vitalija Kibilde to head Elitaz’s new original IP arm

L-R: Rovena Sankaliene, Vitalija Kibilde and Gediminas Jaunius

Lithuanian production group Elitaz is expanding into original IP development with the launch of new Baltic-based division Elitaz Originals, to be led by former Telia Play executive Vitalija Kibilde.

The new venture will develop scripted and unscripted content for the international market, leveraging Elitaz’s established production infrastructure and network of producers across Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia,

Elitaz Originals will operate as a dedicated original IP development business, focusing on building a portfolio of original stories and entertainment formats.

In her new post as CEO, Kibilde brings two decades of experience in television and media. Most recently, she spent six years leading Telia Lithuania’s TV business, Telia Play. There she oversaw content acquisition, original productions, product and commercial strategy, and partnerships with major international studios and streaming platforms.

Kibilde will work alongside Elitaz founder Gediminas Jaunius and Rovena Sankaliene, who joins Elitaz Originals as creative partner. Earlier in their careers, Kibilde and Sankalienė led on-air promotion at Lithuanian commercial broadcasting groups LNK and TV3 respectively.

Kibilde said: “The Baltics may be a relatively small market, but that is precisely why we need to think internationally from day one. Our ambition is to develop original stories and formats here, bringing together strong local creative talent with the commercial insight and international relationships needed to take those ideas further.”

Sankaliene said: “We want Elitaz Originals to be a place where creators can bring not only fully developed projects, but also early ideas that have the potential to become something much bigger.”