Commercial and international exec to step down at end of July
Fremantle’s chief operating officer of commercial and international, Bob McCourt, is to step down at the end of July after almost three decades with the company.
McCourt was most recently leading strategy and business affairs at Fremantle’s commercial arm, with a remit that also saw him overseeing acquisitions and sales.
He had been in the role since 2013 having originally joined Fremantle-owned Pearson in 1998 in a group finance position. McCourt worked alongside chief exec of commercial and international, Jens Richter, who confirmed the long-standing exec’s imminent exit.
“We are incredibly grateful for his longstanding contribution to the business and the impact he has made to the company over nearly three decades,” Richter said.
“His affable, commercial and can-do approach has been a big reason for the success of our division over the years, and he has been an invaluable advocate for Fremantle and its values and culture. We want to thank Bob for all his achievements as we wish him every success for the future.”
Fremantle, which is led by chief exec Jen Mullin, has faced a turbulent time of late, writing off almost €100m (£86m) from its production and distribution operations in March after posting a year-on-year revenue decline of 9.4% in 2025.
The company has also been reshuffling its senior ranks, with scripted chief Christian Vesper, creative inclusion exec Babita Bahal and global entertainment chief Andrew Llinares among those departing in recent months.
Their exits came shortly before former Warner Bros Discovery alum Clément Schwebig took over as chief exec at Fremantle parent RTL Group, replacing the departing Thomas Rabe in May. Deadline broke news of McCourt’s exit.
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