CANBERRA: The question of who will lead the yet-to-merge Endemol Shine Group in Australia remains open following news today that Janeen Faithfull will step down later this year as Endemol Australia CEO.The highly regarded Faithfull will depart in several months to ensure a smooth transition to the new management structure.
Earlier this month Shine Australia CEOs Mark and Carl Fennessy announced they will leave when their contracts expire later this year after turning down the offer to run the Endemol Shine Group in Oz.CEO since 2012, Faithfull said, “I’ve made the difficult decision to leave the company and pursue new opportunities. I didn’t feel I was the right fit for the new business. It will be a much bigger business with a new culture.
“I’m incredibly proud of our talented and committed team and all we have achieved together as Endemol Australia. I have no doubt that joining forces with Shine Australia later in the year will lead to even greater things and I wish all those involved continued successes.”
The structure, leadership and start date of the Endemol Shine Australia business are being formulated by Martha Brass, co-CEO International Operations, Endemol Shine Group, who is spending time in Sydney. In the meantime Shine Australia and Endemol Australia will continue to operate independently.
Brass is understood to be casting the net widely, including internationally, in the search for a high-flyer to run the merged entity.
Endemol Shine Group CEO Sophie Turner Laing said: “Janeen has done a tremendous job of building and leading an outstanding team at Endemol Australia. She has overseen the launch, return and continued success of numerous hit shows across diverse genres including drama, reality, entertainment, factual, and children’s programming. She has our profound thanks for all her brilliant work and we wish her all the very best with her next endeavour.”
Faithfull was head of content and rights management at the Seven Network before she took the helm at Endemol’s predecessor Southern Star, succeeding Rory Callaghan, who moved across to Shine and has since announced he is joining Screentime as its new CEO.
She will stay on to oversee the production of The Hot Plate, a restaurant-based series for the Nine Network which will see English food writer, critic and chef Tom Parker Bowles, son of Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and Melbourne chef/restaurateur Scott Pickett serve as judges.
Currently in production is ABC-TV drama The Beautiful Lie. The company is developing casting ideas for a Celebrity Big Brother to pitch to Nine.
Endemol’s Married at First Sight, a dating show based on the Danish format which follows four couples, who first see each other at the altar on their wedding commitment day until they decide whether to stay together or split, premieres on Nine next month.
