FremantleMedia Australia and Asia Pacific CEO Ian Hogg yesterday announced two executive creative appointments designed to drive fresh thinking and new ideas at Australia’s leading television production company.

Jonathon Summerhayes has been appointed to the key creative role of Director of Programming, overseeing the creative and production processes for all of FremantleMedia Australia’s (FMA) entertainment and factual programming, reporting to Hogg.

In addition, one of the UK’s most exciting production talents, Beth Hart, will move to Australia to join FMA as Director of Television Content. Hart will report to Summerhayes.

Summerhayes has enjoyed critical and popular success as an Executive Producer with FMA, most recently with The X Factor. With Summerhayes at the helm, The X Factor has had four consecutive years of ratings growth. Prior to The X Factor, Summerhayes was Executive Producer of The Biggest Loser and Co-Executive Producer of MasterChef. Summerhayes has been with FMA for seven years.

At FMA, Hart will focus on new and existing entertainment brands, such as Got Talent, Dancing with the Stars, Grand Designs, Recipe to Riches and The Apprentice to ensure that FMA continues to tell fresh and compelling stories.

For the past three years Hart has been the Senior Executive Producer of the UK’s incredibly successful and ground-breaking The X Factor. During this time Hart also held the position of Deputy Head of Entertainment with Thames / SyCo Productions. Prior to this Hart was an Executive Producer at UK production company ITV Studios for five years running huge entertainment hits I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here and Hell’s Kitchen.

Commenting on the appointments, Ian Hogg said: “Both Jonathon and Beth are outstanding creatives and have unparalleled peer recognition. Their appointments signal an important step change in our creative credentials and I am confident that both will bring fresh thinking and ideas and a new energy to the business.”

Jonathon Summerhayes said: “It’s really an exciting time to be in the television business and I am thrilled to now be leading such a talented team of creative and production professionals.”

Beth Hart said: “FMA in Australia is producing some world-class and ground-breaking entertainment formats and I am really excited to be joining the team and bringing my UK experience and ideas to the table.”

Along with the recent promotion of Caroline Spencer to the role of Director of Development and Cathie Scott to Director of International Productions, FremantleMedia is well positioned for future growth.

Hogg added: “FremantleMedia has some of the world’s best story-tellers in the business. It’s a formidable creative team that will ensure the company’s continued success in producing entertaining, engaging, fresh content.”

The appointments are effective immediately.