Canal+ Group Chair and CEO Maxime Saada Joins Vivendi Management Board

variety.com:

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentMaxime Saada, the chairman and CEO of Canal+ Group and chair of its film and TV subsidiary Studiocanal, has joined the management board of Vivendi.The arrival of Saada within Vivendi’s management board is part of the company’s recent strategic moves and underscores its ambition to continue growing its international scope and focus on content, media and communications.

The management board, which remains chaired by Arnaud de Puyfontaine (who is also CEO), welcomed several other new members alongside Saada.Last month, Vivendi, whose supervisory board is chaired by Yannick Bolloré, launched a takeover bid for Lagardère, the French publishing and travel retail conglomerate, following the distribution of 60% of the share capital of Universal Music Group and its listing on the Amsterdam stock exchange. “I am truly honoured to join Vivendi’s management board under the leadership of Yannick Bolloré and Arnaud de Puyfontaine.

I am eager to accelerate the transformation, internationalization, and integration of all entities to unleash new synergies and create value with my colleagues,” said Saada.

The executive added that “Canal+ Group shares Vivendi’s ambition to promote European culture worldwide.”Saada pointed out that Canal+’s “fraternal ties with all Vivendi entities are a major asset and several examples illustrate the creative power that comes from working alongside one another.” He cited several instances of synergies within the group, such as the soundtracks of the two seasons of the series “All the Way Up” which were produced by Polydor, a label owned by Universal Music Group.