Fremantle streamlines corporate ops

An internal review of FremantleMedia’s corporate team will not affect its content production operations, despite more than 180 jobs being under review, the firm has insisted.

Fremantle’s corporate centre in central London is home to its legal, finance and business support teams, as well as its UK-based HR department.

But after the company announced an “organisational review” of its business yesterday, about 185 people have now entered a period of consultation that could see up to 20% of them facing redundancy or having their job descriptions altered, depending on the outcome of the process.

Those affected are likely to learn the outcome by the end of the year, when the review is due to conclude.

However, its UK production hub FremantleMedia UK (fka TalkbackThames) and its subsidiary labels will not be impacted by the restructure, a spokesman said.

The consultation comes just months after FremantleMedia North America CEO Cecile Frot-Coutaz replaced Tony Cohen as group CEO.

However, the company said “streamlining” its business operations was essential to ensure it can support future growth, protect its brands and find new IP through increased investment in development.

In an email to staff, Frot-Coutaz said: “We need to look at the best way to position ourselves to enable future investment and support our global business operations.

“This is not a decision that we have made lightly; I strongly believe that we need to be faster, leaner and more focused at the centre to support our operations around the world and drive our ambitions for the future.”

This is the latest stage in an ongoing reshuffle at Fremantle, with a number of top execs stepping down or changing roles in the past year.

Gary Carter, chief operating officer, revealed in May he was leaving the company and will step down at the end of the year.

In June, Thom Beers was named CEO of FremantleMedia North America, following Frot-Coutaz’s promotion to group CEO of the worldwide production house.

More recently, Donna Wiffen was promoted to head of drama earlier this month to allow Claire Tavernier to concentrate full-time on her role as head of Fremantle’s digital division FMX.

The chain of events was set in motion when Gerhard Zeiler, CEO of Fremantle parent RTL Group, left earlier in the year to join Turner, succeeded by chief operating officer Guillaume de Posch and RTL Television CEO Anke Schäferkordt. At the same time, the CEO of RTL parent Bertelsmann, Thomas Rabe, became the company’s new chairman.