Toonz Media Group’s distribution arm, Toonz Entertainment, has hired two distribution veterans to bolster its content sales across Europe. Bernhard Stephan joins as director of commercial distribution, and Maria Romanelli steps into a senior sales manager role for Italy. 

Both execs started in January and are reporting to Bruno Zarka, president of TV co-production, distribution and syndication at Toonz Media Group.

Based in Munich, Stephan heads up distribution in the French- and German-speaking territories of Central and Eastern Europe, as well as Russia, CIS and MENA. He has more than 20 years of television sales experience, and has worked at companies such as TV-Loonland, Discovery Networks and animation studio Animaccord in the past.

An Italian market expert for more than 40 years, Romanelli served as international director of WildBrain CPLG and was involved in establishing the Warner Bros. consumer products division in Italy. She has also worked at Saban Entertainment, Fox Kids and Jetix.

Pictured above, from left to right: Bernhard Stephan and Maria Romanelli