Mediawan hires former All3Media exec to run distribution, moves sales office to London

France’s Mediawan Group is overhauling its distribution division and has hired All3Media International’s former Americas chief Sally Habbershaw to run it as the company looks to ramp up its English-language output.

Habbershaw takes the newly created role of chief distribution officer at Mediawan, which is moving its sales headquarters from Paris to London.

Valérie Vleeschhouwer, who has been chief exec of Mediawan Rights since its inception in 2017, will work with Habbershaw during a transition period before exiting the company.

Habbershaw reports into Mediawan Pictures’ chief exec Elisabeth d’Arvieu and will oversee Mediawan Rights’ 30,000 hours of shows, which range from The Count of Monte Cristo and Zorro, to Kabul and upcoming BBC drama California Avenue.

The company said the move would “accelerate Mediawan’s global plans to build its premium English-speaking content pipeline and global partnerships”.

Habbershaw will be responsible for the group’s global content sales and acquisitions strategy, overseeing formats, scripted and unscripted sales across all of Mediawan’s 80 production companies, which operate in 14 countries.

They include Plan B Entertainment, which recently launched in Europe, as well as: UK trio See-Saw Films, Drama Republic and Misfits; Palomar and Our Films in Italy; Leonine Studios in Germany; Boomerang and Good Mood in Spain; Submarine in the Netherlands; and Chapter 2 and Chi-Fou-Mi in France.

Habbershaw will work with Mediawan’s sales teams based in France and Germany in her new role, with further key appointments to be announced soon.

Mediawan restructured its distribution operations earlier this year after combining with Leonine Studios, as revealed by Broadcast International.

Habbershaw, who had previously worked at A+E Networks, had been at All3MI for a decade before departing earlier this summer, a move that prompted Jennifer Askin to be upped to exec vice president of The Americas for All3MI.

“Sally’s expertise and vision will be essential through this new phase of Mediawan’s global development,” said Pierre-Antoine Capton, chairman and co-founder of Mediawan Group.

“I would also like to extend my heartfelt thanks to Valérie Vleeschhouwer, whose exceptional leadership and dedication have been instrumental since the very first day at Mediawan.

“We are deeply grateful for her commitment throughout Mediawan’s development, growth, and internationalisation.”

This story first appeared on Screen’s sister site Broadcast