LONDON – Andrea Scrosati has been appointed group Chief Operating Officer at London-based television producer and distributor Fremantle, formerly FremantleMedia.

 

At Fremantle, Scrosati will report to group CEO Jennifer Mullin. He will manage central group functions and operations across southern Europe (Italy, Spain, France and Portugal), Brazil, Mexico and Israel, as well as Fremantle’s UK scripted label Euston Films.

 

Joining the RTL-owned company’s global operating board and investment committee, he will be chair of Fremantle’s production companies Wildside (Italy), Miso Film (Scandinavia) and Abot Hameiri (Israel) and will serve on the board of French subsidiaries Kwai and Fontaram Productions.

 

Scrosati will also have business and operational responsibility for the execution of Fremantle’s global scripted plans. He replaces Sangeeta Desai, who is stepping down as COO and CEO of emerging markets after more than five years in the role.

 

He is making the move from Sky Italia, where he has been EVP of programming since 2010. He joined Sky Italia in 2007 as VP corporate and market communications. Prior to Sky Italia, he co-founded and led MN, an entertainment public relations and communications firm.

 

Scrosati will join Fremantle at the company’s global headquarters in London in November. He will remain chair of Vision Distribution, the Italian theatrical distribution company set up in 2016 between Sky Italia and five independent Italian production companies, including Fremantle’s Wildside.

 

“His deep understanding of audiences, his global mindset, his track-record of taking bold risks, and his world-class creative and commercial acumen are all going to be invaluable as we embark on an increasingly ambitious path to growth,” said Mullin of Scrosati in a statement.

 

“I would also like to thank Sangeeta for all of her work over the last five years,” she added, regarding Desai. “She has been a crucial architect of Fremantle’s push into high-end drama, our big strategic investments and our sustained global growth, and she will be very greatly missed.”