Martin Bachmann has been named managing director of the German office of Columbia TriStar Film Distributors International (CTFDI).

Former German chief Juergen Schau will continue in his role as managing director of Global Entertainment Productions GmbH & Co, a subsidiary of Sony Pictures Releasing, which is responsible for production activities in Germany.

Bachmann has been with CTFDI since 1989 when he was a management trainee at Columbia TriStar GmbH in Germany. By 1993, he was marketing director in Germany, and moved to Sony headquarters in Los Angeles in 2000 as senior vice president, international marketing. There he worked on films including Spider-Man, Men In Black II, XXX and Panic Room.

The appointment was made by Jeff Blake, vice chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) and president of worldwide marketing and distribution, Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group.

"Having worked closely with Martin during the past three years, I am confident there is no one more capable of heading up our efforts in our biggest theatrical market outside of North America," said Blake in a statement. "With Juergen continuing his management of Global Entertainment Productions, we have the best possible team in Germany."