Media veteran Maria Kyriacou looks set to become the new Chairwoman of German broadcasting group ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE.
Kyriacou has been put forward for election to the company’s supervisory board at its upcoming AGM on May 28. If elected, Kyriacou is also standing for appointment as the board’s new Chairwoman, replacing the outgoing Dr. Andreas Wiele.
Wiele previously announced that he will not seek re-election at the AGM.
Kyriacou has held senior leadership roles at Paramount Global, ITV Studios, and The Walt Disney Company. At Paramount, she oversaw international broadcast and studios operations outside the US, and she oversaw ITV’s production and distribution division ITV Studios.
The move comes amid a takeover battle for ProSiebenSat.1 launched last month by MFE-MediaForEurope (MFE), the TV group controlled by Italy’s Berlusconi family.
MFE, which operates TV channels in Italy and Spain, has built a near 30% stake in ProSieben as part of a strategy to create a pan-European advertising-funded broadcaster that can compete with US streaming giants and digital players.
Reuters reported over the weekend that ProSieben’s management was engaging defence advisers to fend off the takeover bid.
Dr. Andreas Wiele, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE: “We are pleased to propose Maria Kyriacou as a candidate for the Supervisory Board and my succession. Her extensive experience and proven leadership in the global media industry make her ideally suited to help guide the successful transformation that ProSiebenSat.1 has begun in the last years.”
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