Wolfgang Braun, general manager and senior vice president of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Germany (previously known as Buena Vista International [Germany]), is stepping down from his post after 15 years as of Oct 1.

His successor as general manager will be Thomas Menne, until now VP sales and marketing and assistant managing director at Walt Disney. German press reports suggested that Braun will continue to support Menne in a transition handover period until the end of February 2008.

Braun had headed BVI Germany since its founding in 1992 and had also been responsible for the development of the successful production arm Buena Vista International Film Productions whose successful co-productions and acquisitions included the Til Schweiger hit Knockin' On Heaven's Door, Joachim Masannek's Wild Soccer Bunch franchise, and Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's Oscar-winning The Lives Of Others.