In a recent announcement, UFA’s long-serving CEO, Nico Hofmann, revealed that he will be stepping down from his position and taking on the role of Chairman of Fremantle’s German powerhouse. Taking over as CEO will be Sascha Schwingel, a former RTL executive.
Hofmann has been with UFA for over 25 years and has been CEO since 2017. His departure marks the end of an era for the company. He initially joined UFA in 1998 to set up TeamWorx, which is now known as UFA Fiction, and has been responsible for producing several successful drama series, including “Deutschland 83,” which was the first German series to air on a U.S. network.
Schwingel, who will be replacing Hofmann, has a strong background in the industry. He was most recently the Deputy Chief Content Officer of RTL Deutschland and has previously served as CEO of VOX. He is familiar with Hofmann, having started his career at TeamWorx and overseeing various shows such as “Die Sturmflut,” “Dresden,” and “Die Hindenburg.” He also worked on the popular series “Babylon Berlin” during his time at ARD Degeto.
As of now, Schwingel will be based in Berlin and will report to Fremantle’s CEO for Continental Europe and Group COO Andrea Scrosati. He will also join the global leadership team of Fremantle.
Fremantle Group CEO Jennifer Mullin expressed her gratitude to Hofmann for his dedication and hard work over the past 26 years. She also welcomed Schwingel back to the business and looks forward to working with him to shape and drive UFA’s future.
UFA is made up of four successful production units: UFA Fiction, UFA Serial Drama, UFA Show & Factual, and UFA Documentary. UFA Fiction has been behind popular franchises like “Deutschland” and “Helgoland 513,” while UFA Serial Drama produces soaps such as “Unter Uns” and “Alles was zählt.” UFA Show & Factual and UFA Documentary have also produced notable projects, including Prime Video’s “All or Nothing: The National Team in Katar.”
This leadership change is expected to bring new creative energy and shape the future direction of UFA.
