Endemol Shine North America Promotes Michael Heyerman, Sean Loughlin

Endemol Shine North America (ESNA), a Banijay Americas company, has named two new executive vice presidents.

Variety has learned exclusively that Michael Heyerman has been promoted to the role of EVP of unscripted series, while Sean Loughlin has been promoted to EVP of unscripted development. The news comes less than two weeks after the launch of ESNA’s new Fox show “Fear Factor: House of Fear.”

“The response to the premiere of ‘Fear Factor: House of Fear’ is a perfect example of why Michael and Sean are the ultimate ‘one-two punch’ in this industry,” said Sharon Levy, CEO of ESNA. “Sean has been a foundational part of this team since our earliest days – I’m pretty sure he’s been here longer than most of the furniture – and he has a rare ability to conceive, develop, and sell everything from a new original format to a classic reimagining. Michael is the world-class leader who brings that vision to life; he is our ‘make-it-happen’ person and a trusted shepherd for our A-list talent. Having this level of leadership by my side ensures that as we continue to grow, we never lose the creative focus and high standards that define ESNA.”

Heyerman is an Emmy Award-nominated producer. In his time at ESNA, he has shepherded shows like “LEGO Masters,” “MasterChef,” “Deal or No Deal Island,” and “Fear Factor: House of Fear.” In his new role, he will oversee staffing, pre-production, and execution of ESNA series once they are greenlit. He is also responsible for talent management, including liaising with stars like Gordon Ramsay, Will Arnett, Nick Cannon, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Keke Palmer, and Johnny Knoxville.

“At ESNA, we pride ourselves on taking big, ambitious ideas and delivering them at the highest possible level,” said Heyerman. “I’ve always seen my role as the person who ensures that when a network trusts us with a project, we deliver exactly what they wanted and more. I take great pride in shepherding world class talent through the production process, creating an environment where they can do their best work while we handle the heavy lifting of the execution. I’m honored to continue this journey alongside Sharon, Sean, and our incredible team – although sometimes I wish Sean would dial it back on his insane decks and sell more shows where we get to work in an air-conditioned studio, everyone gets along, and there are no maggot pies or stunt coordinators in sight.”

Loughlin has been a fixture at ESNA for 20 years, originally joining as part of the company’s scripted team. He has served as executive producer on both “Deal or No Deal Island” and “Fear Factor: House of Fear.” His new role will see him conceive, develop, and sell projects for ESNA with an emphasis on both original IP and mining Banijay’s catalog. He will be involved in development and production and remains an executive producer on key projects.

“I’ve been at ESNA since the dawn of time and have been fortunate enough to still be growing thanks to lots of great co-workers,” said Loughlin. “I’m incredibly proud to have helped place our projects on every major network and multiple streaming platforms. We’re in a unique position at ESNA to breathe new life into legendary formats while simultaneously building original hits from the ground up. I’m grateful to work with a visionary leader like Sharon, and alongside Michael, who makes us all look good by taking the ‘insane’ decks I hand him and turning them into incredible television, while still looking so handsome in the process. We have the most talented development team in the industry, and I’m excited to keep pushing the boundaries of what we can create together.”