Off the Fence adds WDR exec as sales MD

ZDF Enterprises (ZDFE)-owned non-fiction distributor Off the Fence (OTF) has appointed an executive from Germany’s WDR Media Group as MD of sales.

Stefanie Fischer

A former ZDFE deputy sales head, Stefanie Fischer was most recently head of content at Cologne-based WDR.

Her other previous positions include director of content sales at fellow German group ProSiebenSat.1 and sales manager at Sony Pictures in Munich.

At OTF, which ZDFE acquired in January, Fischer will be based in the company’s Amsterdam office. Her remit includes responsibility for more than 6,500 hours of programming from producers and broadcasters such as Terra Mater Factual Studios, Smithsonian Networks and WE tv.

OTF co-CEO Ellen Windemuth said: “Stefanie has a true passion for programme sales and a deep understanding of what producers and broadcast clients need. She is a team player and has a keen interest in our world. We will benefit from her expertise and her strategic and interpersonal skills.”

Fischer added: “Off the Fence has a consistent and clear vision not only to produce documentaries or trade in programming licences, but also to empower audiences to care about our planet.”

OTF rejigged its senior management team in February following its takeover by ZDFE, with Ralf Rückauer, VP of ZDFE.unscripted, sharing the position of OTF CEO with company founder Windemuth.