Fremantle Italy Reveals Refreshed Leadership Framework with Alessandro Saba, Previous Head of Disney Italy's Production, Taking Up Co-CEO Position
In a recent development, Fremantle Italy has announced the appointment of Valerio Fiorespino and Alessandro Saba as co-CEOs of the company. A statement was issued, picturing the two executives together, but it did not mention any collaboration or production credits for Fiorespino.
Valerio Fiorespino, who has been serving as interim CEO of Fremantle Italy since last December, will handle overall management and finances at Fremantle Italia. He brings a wealth of experience to the role, having served as chief corporate officer at Sparkle (a unit of Italian mobile company Tim) and as general manager of Fremantle's LUX Vide. Prior to his tenure at Fremantle, Fiorespino worked for many years at Italian state broadcaster RAI, holding roles such as director of TV resources and director of human resources.
On the other hand, Alessandro Saba will be more involved in the production side at Fremantle Italia. Before joining Disney Italy as head of original productions, Saba was VP at Fox Networks Group Italy. Prior to that, he was an executive at Mediaset. Saba is also an Italian film director and producer, known for his work prior to his time at Fremantle Italy and Disney, including directing short films and commercials. He notably collaborated on the production of Paolo Genovese's Italian box office hit 'FolleMente' ('Madly'). Saba also contributed to the launch of Disney+ in Italy.
The group functions will be divided by area of expertise, with both Fiorespino and Saba reporting to Andrea Scrosati, Fremantle's group COO and CEO continental Europe. The CEOs of Fremantle's Italian operations (Fremantle Italia, Lux Vide, The Apartment, Wildside, Picomedia, and Stand By Me) will now have dual reporting lines to both Fremantle Italy co-CEOs.
Andrea Scrosati expressed appreciation for Fiorespino's interim work and welcomed Saba to the Fremantle group. 'I am confident that Valerio and Alessandro's combined expertise and leadership will drive our Italian operations to new heights,' Scrosati said in the statement.
With the appointment of Fiorespino and Saba as co-CEOs, Fremantle Italy is poised to further expand its presence in the free-to-air, Pay TV, and streaming spaces, producing a variety of scripted, unscripted, and factual content. Saba, in particular, brings a wealth of experience in the production of successful Italian content, having worked on several high-profile projects in the past.
The appointment of Fiorespino and Saba as co-CEOs of Fremantle Italy marks a significant milestone for the company, and it will be interesting to see how they will work together to drive the growth and success of the company in the Italian market.
