BossaNova Media, the content creation, financing and distribution company, has named Francesca Johnson as head of acquisitions, replacing Claire Runham.
Johnson worked for National Geographic for 11 years, during which time she oversaw development and worked with the London-based commissioning team on projects for its linear channels and Disney+, including Diana: In Her Own Words, Drain the Oceans, Inside North Korea’s Dynasty and Lost Cities. She also worked with network heads across Asia, Europe and Latin America to identifying strategic co-production opportunities for locally produced content. Her executive-producer credits include Heroes of the Sky: The Real Mighty Eighth Air Force, 9/11: Control the Skies and India From Above, a two-part series narrated by Dev Patel.
Most recently, Johnson served as executive vice-president of content at independently-backed Anyway Content, where she was responsible for building the start-up’s non-scripted business and driving its development slate. Since then she launched development, consultancy and finance company Table41, with several projects in paid development. Table41 supported the development and financing of six-part series The Infinite Explorer for Hannah Fry with Atomic Television for National Geographic Channel as well as factual entertainment format DNA Kitchen for Ancestry, with Dare Pictures.
Iona Hopper will take up the newly created role of acquisitions manager, reporting to Johnson. While Lyra Semsedini has been promoted to acquisitions and materials co-ordinator to support the growing department.
Runham is stepping down from her role to spend more time with family.
Francesca Johnson said: “Paul and the team are known for their innovative approach to financing and deal-making. I can’t wait to see what we achieve together!”
Iona Hopper has spent nearly four years at DCD Rights as part of the acquisitions team, discovering and developing projects across scripted and factual programming. During this time, she has worked on talent-led factual hits including Sue Perkins’ Big Adventure, Bill Bailey’s Vietnam Adventure and the upcoming Prue & Sandi’s South African Adventure for Channel 4, as well as overseeing long-running franchises such as Secret Nazi Bases (UKTV), The Travelling Auctioneers (BBC), Treasures with Bettany Hughes (Channel 4) and Aussie Gold Hunters (WBD). Prior to joining DCD Rights, Hopper spent five years at Fremantle as a Drama Executive in the Global Drama team, working across development and acquisitions for the international scripted slate. She began her career in production and also has experience in legal and business affairs.
Paul Heaney, CEO and founder of BossaNova said: ‘As a team we are all totally gutted at Runners’ leaving, but we wish her very well and hope to work together again. The role of an acquisitions team in a distribution operation has changed so much in the almost decade we’ve worked together and Runners rode every wave of change from self-commissioning to transforming the sparkling Development Day into what it is today. Iona and Francesca are two people at the forefront of all these changes and we know they’re not coming in for business as usual. Both have very different, complimentary skills and certainly wouldn’t be agreeing to join the brilliant BossaNova team if they didn’t see the huge gap of opportunity on offer for a resourced unscripted distributor in today’s market. Businesses in distribution can only thrive with the right investment, an established community of buyers, producers and an excellent team. We have that. Can’t flipping wait.’
Iona Hopper said: “I’m excited to be joining BossaNova at a time when innovative distributors are more important than ever in the content ecosystem. I’ve long admired Paul and the team’s approach to development and deal-making, and I’m really looking forward to getting started with the newly formed acquisitions team!’
Pippa Considine
Share this story
