Seven revamps management of production house, Seven Studios
Management of Seven’s production house, Seven Studios, has been shaken up with Therese Hegarty, Richard Henson and Andrew Backwell appointed to key leadership roles in the business.
In the moves, Therese Hegarty, currently director of content distribution and rights, has been appointed CEO while Richard Henson was promoted to director of content sales while Andrew Backwell becomes director of production
Andrew Backwell left Nine in 2016 after 14 years with the network
Blackwell was with Nine for 14 years before his resignation as head of production in 2016. Prior to joining Seven in October 2018, he consulted to Sony/Playmaker and MediaWorks.
Before joining Seven in 2012 Hegarty was vice president production for Beyond International, where she managed operational and business affairs across the company’s US and Australian production business. She became Seven’s director, content distribution and rights in 2017.
Henson joined Seven Studios in August 2015, to manage the sales and distribution arrangements of Seven’s significant and rapidly growing catalogue of content rights. Prior to joining Seven he was APAC regional director, program sales and consumer products for Discovery Networks International, and held various sales, strategy and communications roles with Nickelodeon, MCN, OMD and Universal McCann.
Seven West Media CEO Tim Worner said of the appointments: “The Seven Studios story is a truly remarkable one. Our productions are now seen in over 190 countries worldwide across myriad local broadcasters, and are proving wildly popular on global streaming platforms.
“But we are only scratching the surface of Seven Studios’ potential. To build on our strong growth trajectory, we are investing in both our team and our production slate.
“I’m delighted to announce Therese as Seven Studios’ chief executive. That we are on track to deliver a seventh consecutive year of EBIT growth is down to Therese’s outstanding leadership.
“She has led the evolution of the company into a truly global player, expanding our international production footprint to London, Los Angeles and Auckland, and ensuring our local hubs in Sydney and Melbourne go from strength to strength.
“Therese is putting together a world-class team, and the promotions of Andrew and Richard, together with the recent announcements of Damon Pattison as leader of Seven Studios UK, and Simon Shalgosky as our Head of Global Development, put us in the best position to profit from the unrelenting global demand for premium long-form entertainment.”
Hegarty added: “I’m thrilled to take on the chief executive role, and thank Tim, the SWM team and Board for their ongoing support.
“I’m pleased to announce the appointments of Andrew and Richard. Andrew will be responsible for unscripted content and Richard will continue to lead the charge in monetising our content far and wide all over the world.
In January, Seven announced the launch of Seven Studios UK, adding to it production hubs in Los Angeles, Auckland, Sydney & Melbourne.
