Banijay has named its new sales leadership team, putting Cathy Payne at the head of Banijay Rights as the company integrates the All3Media library into its existing operations. Payne now leads the sales unit, with five lieutenants covering the world’s regions and the company’s business functions.
Payne’s team includes Matt Creasey, who handles World distribution outside Europe, the Middle East and Africa; Stephen Driscoll, who covers EMEA; Rachel Job, who manages Content; Shaun Keeble, who handles Monetisation; and Andy Dickens, who runs Communications and Marketing. Together, the group oversees more than 250,000 hours of content from the combined All3Media catalogue.
The team announcement follows a period of significant change at the top of All3Media International. CEO Louise Pedersen exited soon after the merger deal was announced, and several long-serving sales executives have also left the company.
Departures
Nick Smith, All3Media International’s EVP Formats, and Rachel Glaister, its EVP Press & Marketing, have taken voluntary redundancy. Simon Cox, Claire Jago, Maartje Horchner and Chris Stewart are among the sales leaders who have departed the organisation.
Payne addressed the shift directly in her statement. “We have created a distribution powerhouse with the scale and capabilities to deliver growth for the group and even greater value for our producers, partners and clients around the world,” she said.
The Catalogue
The combined catalogue is the foundation of Payne’s role. More than 250,000 hours of content sit under the team’s remit, a figure that reflects the size of the All3Media library added to Banijay’s existing holdings.
Jane Turton, Banijay Entertainment Deputy CEO, said the reorganisation positions Banijay Rights at the heart of the group. “With huge energy and deep knowledge, she has assembled an exceptional team to work with her producers and the vast and growing client base. Banijay Rights is positioned at the heart of the group, with a very clear ambition to continue to grow the revenues generated from rights’ exploitation across multiple platforms and all markets around the world.”
The consultancy process for staff has been underway in recent weeks. The company is seeking €50M ($56.8M) in synergies within 12 months of the deal closing.
Key Figures
- Cathy Payne leads Banijay Rights
- Five lieutenants named: Matt Creasey (World excluding EMEA), Stephen Driscoll (EMEA), Rachel Job (Content), Shaun Keeble (Monetisation), and Andy Dickens (Communications & Marketing)
- More than 250,000 hours of content from the combined All3Media catalogue
- Nick Smith and Rachel Glaister took voluntary redundancy
- Long-serving sales execs exiting include Simon Cox, Claire Jago, Maartje Horchner and Chris Stewart
- Louise Pedersen exited as All3Media International CEO soon after the merger deal was announced
- €50M ($56.8M) in synergies sought within 12 months of deal closing
The team’s stated ambition is straightforward: grow revenue from rights across multiple platforms and all markets. Payne’s team now holds the portfolio. The catalogue is vast, and the clock on the synergy target is running.
Where the paper stands
The paper backs Cathy Payne’s team running sales at Banijay Rights without a heavy hand from regulators, and is against any licensing regime or disclosure rule that would make it harder for smaller media firms to compete against the biggest names in the industry.
The paper’s position on AI and technology applies here by extension: the danger is big tech dominance, not the technology itself. A licensing regime for media sales would operate as a moat, not a safeguard — a compliance cost only giants like Banijay could afford, freezing smaller competitors out of the market. The paper backs narrow rules against direct harm, such as forcing companies to disclose safety failures they hid, but opposes broad rules that hand the market to the incumbents.
What Banijay needs is a free hand to run its sales operation and meet its €50M synergy target, not another layer of regulatory burden. The reader should watch for any sign that policymakers treat media sales as something that needs to be licensed or disclosed, because that would be the wrong direction entirely.
Source material: “Banijay Officially Unveils New Sales Team Led By Cathy Payne With Five Key Lieutenants,” Deadline.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.