EXCLUSIVE: UK sales industry veteran Sarah Lebutsch is joining Protagonist Pictures as head of sales.
Lebutsch joins from Universal Pictures, where she has been director of acquisitions and production for the past year, having previously worked at Protagonist covering Janina Vilsmaier’s maternity leave. She takes over from former Arclight Films exec Lina Marrone, who had been in the role since 2024 and has left the company.
Prior to Protagonist, Lebutsch was head of sales and managing director of international sales at London-based Independent Entertainment, joining the company in 2007.
She will report into Vilsmaier, who was recently promoted to executive vice president of sales and distribution from senior vice president of sales and distribution, while Mounia Wissinger has also been upped to executive vice president, global marketing and publicity, from senior vice president of the same department.
Vilsmaier will lead the company’s sales and distribution strategy, overseeing first-run and library sales across the slate, driving the commercial positioning of titles in the global marketplace, and working closely with filmmakers, producers and partners.
She will also work closely with Wissinger, who will continue to lead the marketing and publicity strategy across the slate, overseeing the development and execution of business-to-business and business-to-consumer campaigns from positioning through to release.
Protagonist’s current slate includes recently wrapped titles like Brian Welsh’s The Return Of Stanley Atwell, starring Nicholas Galitzine, Ella Purnell and Damian Lewis, and Simon Woods’ The Worst, starring Keira Knightley, Alicia Vikander, Sam Claflin, Tom Hollander and Erin Kellyman.
The company has also promoted key members of its operations team, with Lani Kovacevic becoming senior business affairs executive, Ceri Davies becoming accounts receivable manager and Manuela Perez Gomez becoming acquisitions and operations coordinator.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Sarah back to Protagonist,” said Vilsmaier. “We know first-hand the experience, energy and sharp commercial instincts she brings to the team, as well as the strong relationships she has built across the international market. Sarah understands both our slate and the way we work, and her return comes at an exciting moment for the company.”
“Protagonist is entering a new stage of its growth and Janina and Mounia have both played an integral role in that growth and evolution, and these promotions recognise the leadership, expertise and ambition they bring to the business,” added George Hamilton, Protagonist COO. “Their expanded roles reflect the way we want to operate as a company: collaboratively, strategically and always with filmmakers and their work at the centre.”
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