Mediawan Group, a flourishing European production house known for its ventures with Plan B, See-Saw Films, and Drama Republic, has announced its distribution business will be moving to London. This change comes with the hiring of former All3Media International executive Sally Habbershaw as the new chief distribution officer.
Habbershaw, who previously served as the Americas sales chief at All3Media International before relocating to London from New York, will lead Mediawan’s distribution efforts.
This transition marks a significant step in Mediawan’s global strategy and efforts to expand internationally. The studio, founded by chairman and co-founder Pierre-Antoine Capton, operates over 80 companies across 14 nations. Aside from Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment—which has recently established a presence in London and recruited respected British producer Ed Macdonald to oversee operations—Mediawan boasts ownership of various entities including See-Saw Films (U.K./Australia), Drama Republic, Misfits (U.K.), Palomar and Our Films (Italy), LEONINE Studios (Germany), Boomerang and Good Mood (Spain), Submarine (Netherlands/US), Chapter 2, and Chi-Fou-Mi (France).
In her new role, Habbershaw will fast-track Mediawan’s ambition to create a portfolio filled with high-quality English-language content, and forge international collaborations. This comes following recent successes like Plan B’s hit racing film “F1: The Movie” (the highest-grossing movie for Apple to date), alongside the multi-Emmy Award-winning series “Adolescence” and “Slow Horses” from See-Saw Films, as well as “Call My Agent!”, which is among the most adapted shows globally. Habbershaw will collaborate closely with Mediawan’s sales teams located in France and Germany, with other key appointments to be announced shortly.
As part of the restructuring within the distribution branch, Valérie Vleeschhouwer, the established CEO of Mediawan Rights, will assist Habbershaw during a transition period prior to her departure from the organization. Vleeschhouwer has a notable 20-year background as deputy managing director at AB Group, which integrated into Mediawan in 2017. She has been instrumental in merging Lagardère Studios’ distribution operations in 2020 and Leonine Studios in 2024.
“I am excited to welcome Sally Habbershaw to Mediawan as we embark on this new chapter of our international growth by relocating our distribution leadership to London, where she will report to Elisabeth d’Arvieu, CEO of Mediawan Pictures,” expressed Capton, who noted that Habbershaw’s “expertise and vision” will play a crucial role in this new phase of global development for Mediawan.
Capton further acknowledged Vleeschhouwer’s exceptional “leadership and commitment.” He stated, “Valérie has over 30 years of experience, and her extraordinary contributions have significantly shaped our distribution efforts, nurtured valuable partnerships with producers and talent, and skillfully navigated our adaptation to market changes.”
Habbershaw has an impressive history at All3Media International, where she secured significant licensing agreements involving David Attenborough’s “Ocean” with Nat Geo, Two Brothers’ major productions “The Tourist” (HBO/Netflix), “Liar” (AMC), and “Back to Life” (Showtime/Paramount), along with works such as New Pictures’ “Long Shadow” and The Forge’s “National Treasure.” She has also been pivotal in establishing key format rights deals for
Latin America and Canada. Before this role, she was VP of International Programming, Operations, and Research at A&E Networks.
Mediawan stands as a content juggernaut with an impressive library of over 30,000 hours of programming, featuring popular films like “The Count of Monte Cristo,” the TV series “Zorro,” and the animated franchise “Miraculous Ladybug.” Upcoming projects include Sally Wainwright’s “Riot Women” and Hugo Blick’s “California Avenue,” both from Drama Republic, with plans to showcase them at Mipcom.
