Endemol Shine North America (ESNA), a Banijay America company, has appointed two new executive vice presidents.
Variety has exclusively learned that Michael Heyerman has been promoted to vice president of unscripted series and Sean Loughlin has been promoted to vice president of unscripted development. The news comes less than two weeks after the launch of ESNA’s new show on FOX, “Fear Factor: House of Fear.”
“The response to the premiere of ‘Fear Factor’ is a perfect example of why Michael and Sean are the ultimate one-two punch in this industry,” said Sharon Levy, CEO of ESNA. “Sean has been a foundational part of this team since our early days, and we’re confident he’ll be here longer than most furniture. And he has the rare ability to envision, develop and sell everything from new original formats to classic re-imaginings. Michael is a world-class leader who brings that vision to life. He is our ‘enabler’ and a trusted keeper for A-list talent.” Having this level of leadership on my side will ensure that we make it happen. To continue to grow, we never lose our creative focus and the high standards that define ESNA. ”
Heyerman is an Emmy-nominated producer. During his time at ESNA, he has coached shows such as “LEGO Masters,” “MasterChef,” “Deal or No Deal Island,” and “Fear Factor: House of Fear.” In his new role, he will oversee the staffing, pre-production and execution of the ESNA series once it is greenlit. He also has talent management responsibilities, including liaising with stars such as Gordon Ramsay, Will Arnett, Nick Cannon, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, KeKi Palmer and Johnny Knoxville.
“At ESNA, we pride ourselves on taking big, ambitious ideas and delivering them at the highest level possible,” said Heyerman. “I have always viewed my role as someone who ensures that when a network trusts us with a project, we deliver exactly what they wanted and more. We take great pride in guiding world-class talent through the production process and creating an environment where they can do their best work while we handle the heavy lifting of execution.” I’m honored to continue this journey with Sharon, Sean, and our amazing team, but sometimes I wish Sean would turn it around with his insane deck and sell more of the shows we work on, but in an air-conditioned studio, everyone gets along and there’s no maggot pie or stunt coordinator in sight.
Laughlin has been with ESNA for 20 years, initially joining as part of the company’s writing team. He was an executive producer on both “Deal or No Deal Island” and “Fear Factor: House of Fear.” In his new role, he will conceive, develop and sell projects for ESNA, with a focus on both original IP and mining the Banijay catalog. He will be involved in development and production and will continue to serve as executive producer on major projects.
“I have been with ESNA since its inception, and I have been fortunate to continue to grow thanks to many wonderful colleagues,” Loughlin said. “We are very proud to support our project on all major networks and multiple streaming platforms. ESNA , we’re in the unique position of being able to breathe new life into a legendary format while simultaneously building an original hit from the ground up. I’m grateful to be able to work with a visionary leader like Sharon, and Michael, who makes us all look great while turning the “insane” decks I gave him into incredible television. We have the most talented development team in the industry and are excited to continue pushing the boundaries of what we can create together. ”
