Iris Oetter, Chief Financial Officer, Studio Babelsberg AG
Press Release
Studio Babelsberg AG, part of the Cinespace Studios production platform, announces the appointment of Iris Oetter as Chief Financial Officer effective 1 March 2024. Iris Oetter brings more than 25 years of experience in finance, including more than 16 years in the film and media industry, as well as strong leadership skills that will help to further improve the financial development of the studio. Iris Oetter will replace interim CFO Andre Bleeker on the Board as planned and will report to Studio Babelsberg's CEO Andy Weltman.
As a member of the Warner Bros. Discovery International leadership team in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, Iris Oetter was responsible for finance, planning and analysis for the Cinema, Local Production, Home Entertainment, TV and Consumer Products divisions. In this role, she was an integral financial and business partner in evaluating strategic business decisions, including growth initiatives, integrations and transformations as well as new business opportunities in a rapidly changing environment for both Warner Bros. Discovery International and the media industry in general. Iris Oetter is a certified business coach and has experience in auditing and tax consulting. During her time at the international brewery group Anheuser-Busch InBev as Head of Internal Control Zone Western Europe, she successfully managed the integration of the German acquisitions and investments into the German group's finance department.
Andy WeltmanCEO Studio Babelsberg AG: "We are delighted to welcome Iris Oetter as Chief Financial Officer. Her extensive experience will be instrumental in guiding Studio Babelsberg towards its future growth targets and we are convinced that she will play a central role in our overall success. At the same time, we would like to thank Andre Bleeker for his contribution as interim CFO."
Iris Oetter"I am honoured to join a company with such a long and successful history. I look forward to supporting the growth and development of Studio Babelsberg as a leading player in film and television production."
Keith GeeCo-Managing Partner and Chief Financial Officer of Cinespace Studios: "The appointment of Iris Oetter as Chief Financial Officer of Studio Babelsberg underlines Cinespace's goal to build an experienced German-speaking leadership team for this long-established German company. We are convinced that Iris Oetter's leadership experience will not only help to make Studio Babelsberg financially sustainable for the future, but also to establish a leadership style and culture that will enable Studio Babelsberg and Cinespace worldwide to achieve our common goal: To be the leading provider of studio infrastructure and services for creatives, helping them to tell their stories. With the appointment of Iris Oetter, Studio Babelsberg will be able to further strengthen its competitive edge as one of the best studios in Europe and we look forward to her diverse contributions."
In 2023, the integration of Studio Babelsberg into the global production platform Cinespace Studios was announced. Cinespace Studios is led by co-managing partners Ashley Rice (President), Eoin Egan (COO) and Keith Gee (CFO).
About Cinespace Studios
Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, Cinespace Studios is a premier global platform of production facilities supporting content providers and their creatives. With 109 studios in Atlanta, Chicago, Toronto, Wilmington and Studio Babelsberg in Germany, Cinespace is one of the largest studio operators in the world. Cinespace is home to productions such as Lionsgate's THE HUNGER GAMES: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES and JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4, HULU/FX's Golden Globe-winning series THE BEAR, Dick Wolf's ONE CHICAGO series, Guillermo Del Toro's Oscar-winning THE SHAPE OF WATER, UCP's CHUCKY, MGM TV/Hulu's THE HANDMAID'S TALE, Netflix's STRANGER THINGS, Marvel's IRON MAN 3 and Amazon's THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY. CineCares, a division of the studio, was founded to support local communities, workforce training and crew diversity. Further information can be found at www.cinespace.com.
Iris Oetter, Photo: Lotta Laabs