Academy Award-nominated French animation studio Xilam Animation has appointed experienced industry executive Jérôme Lacarrière to the position of VP of digital business development, in which he will be responsible for continuing the growth and expansion of the company’s well-established digital ecosystem and footprint. He is based in Xilam’s head office in Paris and reports into distribution EVP Morgann Favennec.
Xilam’s presence in the digital market continues to accelerate and now includes 40 billion lifetime views and 63 million subscribers on YouTube, alongside two highly coveted Diamond Play Buttons for its Zig and Sharko and Oggy and the Cockroaches channels; four brand accounts on TikTok with a total of four million subscribers and 27 million likes; five pages on Facebook with two billion lifetime views and 2.7 billion minutes viewed in the last 365 days, alongside two fast channels in France and Brazil featuring titles from the studio’s extensive catalogue.
Lacarrière joins Xilam from the French streaming service Salto, where he held the position of distribution and partnership manager since 2020. During this time, he was responsible for developing relationships with key distribution and production partners, as well as managing commercial negotiations. Prior to Salto, Lacarrière spent 12 years at The Walt Disney Company France, first joining as store manager and then transitioning to become digital sales manager. He is a graduate from the New York Institute of Technology in 2008 and takes over from Charles Courcier, who joined Xilam in 2019.
Xilam Animation distribution EVP Morgann Favennec said, “The growth and expansion of our digital ecosystem remains a key priority for us, as we’re committed to ensuring our fans have a wealth of online content to enjoy across multiple platforms. We’d like to thank Charles for playing a pivotal role in boosting our footprint and success in the digital sphere around the world, and we’re now delighted to welcome Lacarrière and to have his wealth of expertise as we take our digital presence to the next level.”
Jérôme Lacarrière added, “This is a hugely exciting time to be joining the Xilam team as the company has established a remarkable online presence for its robust portfolio of animated properties and has created a highly engaged online community worldwide. I’m very much looking forward to being part of the Xilam team and to building digital strategies that will help harness this momentum for the long-term.”