Endemol Shine Hires Viacom and Discovery Alum for Germany
Magnus Kastner will take the helm at Endemol Shine Germany. He is veteran of the international business having run Viacom’s Northern Europe unit, Discovery’s German operation, and been president of Dubai-based Rotana.
At production and distribution powerhouse Endemol Shine Group he will be chief executive, Germany, reporting to Northern Europe chairman Boudewijn Beusmans.
He replaces Marcus Wolter who left late last year and has since resurfaced as the German boss for Endemol Shine rival Banijay’s new German operation, as first reported by Variety.
CFO Ute Marz, strategy exec Gabi Begg, and factual programming chief Rainer Lux have been running the Endemol Shine ship in the interim.
The new German boss, who starts in June, comes to Endemol Shine from LA-based eSports company Turtle Entertainment where he was chief executive. He said: “Endemol Shine Germany are an amazing company, brilliant, creative and prolific with an unparalleled track record in both creating original IP and adapting IP across multiple genres.”
Beusmans added: “Magnus is an exceptionally talented executive with a profound knowledge of the German media landscape along with an international perspective and experience.”
Endemol Shine Germany’s slate includes entertainment format “Big Bounce Battle,” which plays on RTL. It produces the local version of “MasterChef” for Sky, “Big Brother” for Sat.1, and “The Wall” for RTL. It is also a joint venture partner in drama producer Wiedemann & Berg Television, which makes Netflix’s German hit “Dark.”
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