Red Arrow appoints global sales VP

A former ZDF Enterprises (ZDFE) executive has returned to Red Arrow Studios International as the German sales outfit’s senior VP of global sales.

Tim Gerhartz

Tim Gerhartz will report to Bo Stehmeier, president of Red Arrow Studios International and will be responsible for leading the company’s sales teams around the world. He will be based in the Munich office and starts today.

Gerhartz joins from music licensing agency Audio Network where he oversaw sales and business development in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Before that he worked for Red Arrow as VP of sales and acquisitions, responsible for sales in the UK, Nordic, Benelux and Italy markets, and before that worked at ZDFE.

Bo Stehmeier, president of Red Arrow Studios International, said Gerhartz’s “wealth of sales experience paired with his enthusiastic, tenacious approach and talent for building excellent relationships” would help the business “identify new areas of growth.”

Gerhartz added: “As the company continues to build on its position as a leading global studio and distributor, I look forward to working closely with Bo and the fantastic team to maximise sales opportunities across the company’s impressive slate of internationally successful scripted, factual and format content.”

Red Arrow Studios International has offices in Munich, London and LA, and is part of ProSiebenSat.1-owned Red Arrow Studios, which has 20 production companies in seven territories.

Red Arrow Studios chief creative officer Michael Schmidt revealed he would be leaving the production outfit last week after 15 years.

The ProSiebenSat.1-owned company has confirmed Schmidt will depart when his contract ends in June, with Nina Etspueler promoted to group creative director as his replacement.

Etspueler is currently executive VP of creative operations at Red Arrow, working as Schmidt’s deputy.

Following her promotion, she will report to James Baker, who will take over as president and chief operating officer in March in place of another long-serving employee, Jan Frouman, whose impending exit was announced last year.