Katharina Pietzsch and Kelly Wood join rejigged BBC Studios Kids & Family team

Katharina Pietzsch (left) and Kelly Wood

BBC Studios Kids & Family has hired ZDF Studios’ Katharina Pietzsch as VP of content sales and appointed former Paramount exec Kelly Wood to the newly created role of head of content strategy.

The senior appointments complete the senior management restructure at the new division, which was formed last year.

Pietzsch will lead the division’s sales and coproduction strategy, manage accounts and enhance sales revenue and profit targets in copros, commissions and global tape sales.

She joins from Germany’s ZDF Studios, where she was a director in its junior department, responsible for negotiating pre-sales, coproductions and co-commissions.

Pietzsch joined ZDF Studios as a management trainee and has worked as acquisitions manager for ZDF and KiKa and sales and coproduction director for ZDF Studios’ kids and family content.

Wood’s remit, meanwhile, will see her help define global and local content strategies, plus ensure that Kids & Family shows achieve maximum reach within young audiences.

Her previous role, as editorial lead at Paramount Kids & Family UK and Ireland, saw her oversee content and programming strategy for the Nickelodeon brand. Wood has also worked at Channel 4 and media agency OMD.

Announcing the appointments, Cecilia Persson, MD of BBC Studios Kids & Family, said: “I am delighted that Katharina and Kelly are bringing their considerable experience and insight to help us deliver our ambition to create high-quality content and build globally appealing brands.”

Pietzsch said: “I greatly admire the BBC’s globally renowned, distinctive content and can’t wait to start supporting the division’s brands.”

Wood said: “I’m passionate about young audiences and developing innovative ways to reach them.”

BBC Studios Kids & Family’s catalogue of children’s content includes Blue Peter, Hey Duggee, Bluey and Sarah & Duck.