By Gary Symons
TLL Editor-in-Chief
The French animation studio Xilam has appointed Caterina Gonnelli-Linden as co-chief executive officer, and promoted two other senior executives to deputy CEO roles.
Xilam’s board says it named Gonnelli-Linden to the post on the recommendation of the chairman. Camille Wiplier and Safaa Benazzouz were promoted to deputy chief executive officers and will report to Gonnelli-Linden.
Under the new structure, executive leadership will be shared between Gonnelli-Linden and Marc du Pontavice, the studio’s current CEO. The company said the change will allow du Pontavice to focus on group strategy and diversification, notably the growth of its feature film production.
“I am delighted to put in place this new governance that reinforces and structures the leadership of Caterina, Camille and Safaa, in whom I have the greatest confidence and to whom Xilam owes many successes in recent years,” du Pontavice said. “By turning the page on the crisis that has hit the animation sector hard, and as we return to the path of strong growth, I hope the group’s management structure will give impetus to new energy, driven by the diversity of our content and talent.
This is how we will strengthen the uniqueness of our creations, the only relevant strategy to respond to market changes,” du Pontavice added. “In this sense, this new governance is an investment in the future.”
Gonnelli-Linden said she was “extremely pleased and proud” to take on the new role.
“Building on our highly talented teams, a corporate culture that fosters excellence, and a rich and diverse development slate that I am truly excited about, I look forward to immediately focusing on our new kids’ productions and turning them into the successful franchises of tomorrow,” she said.
Gonnelli-Linden joined Xilam in 2020 as editorial director and took over the content division in February 2023. She previously spent 13 years at France Animation, which became Moonscoop, and eight years at Disney managing acquisitions and co-productions for its channels in France and across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
Gonnelli-Linden now becomes a corporate officer alongside du Pontavice, to whom she will report. She takes operational responsibility for developing and producing children’s programs for television and digital platforms, and will also be a producer on them.
She will share editorial responsibility with du Pontavice for Xilam’s adult-targeted series, which he continues to follow personally. Gonnelli-Linen oversees four departments: content, operations, distribution, and human resources.
As head of the content division, Gonnelli-Linden has led series including “Piggy Builders” and “Submarine Jim,” working closely with du Pontavice, the company said.
Benazzouz will lead content distribution and marketing strategy. She will manage international sales, marketing and communication, digital publishing, and merchandising. The promotion makes Benazzouz the top executive responsible for Xilam’s sizeable licensing portfolio.
Benazzouz joined Xilam in 2019 after helping launch the company Superights. Xilam’s catalog includes more than 3,000 episodes broadcast in more than 190 countries, and Benazzouz has led the distribution department since 2023.
Wiplier will lead the operations department, which she has managed since January, along with IT and technical services. Xilam said the arrangement brings production teams, subsidiaries, information systems, and technical services under one leader.
Wiplier has worked at Xilam for nearly 20 years and oversaw the opening of its Lyon and Angoulême studios. Her credits include the feature film “I Lost My Body” and the series “The Daltons,” “If I Were an Animal,” and “Submarine Jim.”
The company said the three executives will give Xilam an integrated view of its value chain, from editorial direction to commercial exploitation. It said individual teams will see a more streamlined organization without changes to their day-to-day contacts.
Du Pontavice will remain in charge of strategy, shareholder relations, and supervision of financial and legal services, as well as the group’s push into film production.
Xilam, which is Academy Award-nominated, plans to release one new film a year beginning in 2026. The company noted that animated films accounted for 27% of the global box office in 2024.
Xilam’s executive committee, which the company said is 60% women, also includes General Counsel Pierre Monfort, Chief Financial Officer Cécile Haimet, HR Director Anne Hemery, and Guillaume Jallot, director of technical and IT services.
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