Jan Frouman Exiting ProSieben & Red Arrow; James Baker To Succeed Longtime Exec
Veteran ProSiebenSat.1 exec Jan Frouman is leaving his post as Chairman and CEO of Red Arrow Studios..
Veteran ProSiebenSat.1 exec Jan Frouman is leaving his post as Chairman and CEO of Red Arrow Studios, and as a member of the ProSieben executive board. He will step down from both roles when his current contract concludes at the end of February. Frouman will be succeeded by James Baker, who has been appointed President & COO of Red Arrow Studios, the global production network of ProSiebenSat.1 that counts 20 international production companies and has such credits as Bosch and Married At First Sight. Baker, who is currently COO of Red Arrow Studios, will report directly to Max Conze, CEO of ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE.
The shifts come at a time of some change for the group. Earlier this month, Henrik Pabst left his post as President of distributor Red Arrow Studios International after being promoted to the newly-created role of Chief Commercial Officer at ProSiebenSat.1s entertainment segment. Bo Stehmeier succeeds him as Red Arrow Studios International President.
Frouman joined ProSiebenSat.1 in 2004 following the acquisition led by Haim Saban, for whom Frouman worked in Los Angeles. Prior to launching and becoming Chairman & CEO of Red Arrow Studios in 2010, Frouman held several senior corporate positions within ProSiebenSat.1.
Baker joined Red Arrow in 2011. Before that, he spent 11 years at Sky, and from 2007, worked with private equity group Fleming Media before joining Al Gores Current TV as UK General Manager.
In his new role, Baker will manage the 20 production companies that are part of Red Arrow Studios global network, take responsibility for strategic expansion initiatives and work closely with Wolfgang Link, Chief Content & Channel Officer, and Pabst. Stehmeier will report to Baker and oversee TV distributor Red Arrow Studios International and U.S. indie film distributor Gravitas Ventures.
Reza Izad, CEO of Studio71, will continue to lead the global multi-platform company and report directly to Conze. Baker and Izad will cooperate closely to further increase collaboration between Studio71 and Red Arrows production firms, and develop and scale the global digital video business.
ProSiebenSat.1 further says it is creating a steering board to increase Red Arrows German production footprint and to further leverage synergies with ProSiebenSat.1s entertainment business. Link and Pabst will work alongside Red Arrows Baker, Michael Schmidt (CCO), Raimo Reese (CFO), Martin Metzger (Chief Legal & Business Affairs Officer), and Izad.
Conze said of todays news, “Red Arrow Studios is an important part of ProSiebenSat.1, and I would like to thank Jan for successfully building and leading the group from the start. Im also very pleased that weve been able to promote James Baker to lead the company going forward. He knows Red Arrow inside and out, and together we will expand our production footprint, further strengthen the operational performance of the Red Arrow companies and particularly develop a broader German content production ecosystem.”
Said Frouman, “My time with ProSiebenSat.1 was a defining life experience. Professionally. Culturally. Socially. I have worked with talented colleagues around the world. My decision to leave wasnt made lightly. But Im simply ready for a new chapter. James has been a part of the success story since the early days. Red Arrow is in very good hands.”
