Unscripted production outfit Media Headquarters has promoted long-time executive Melanie Brobyn and hired a pair of new faces.

Brobyn (pictured left), who has been with the Toronto-based company for 13 years, has been promoted to executive producer and VP, from her previous role of VP of production and business affairs.

With the promotion, Brobyn will be tasked with overseeing all aspects of Media Headquarters’ slate of productions from inception to completion, in addition to liaising between the company’s development, production, financial, legal and communications teams.

The company, led by CEO and founder Robert Cohen, has also hired Dave Shippel (pictured, right) as its new CFO. Shippel, whose previous roles include director, group finance at Kew Media (2017-2020), VP of finance and operations at WildBrain (2006-2016) and VP of finance at Nelvana (1991-2004), will oversee all financial activities and support the company’s growth.

In addition, the prodco is expanding its development team with the hire of Drew Carnwath. The producer and writer, who has worked on several factual series for both independent production companies and in-house at CBC and Bell Media, takes the role of development producer.

Media Headquarters was previously owned by Kew Media Group, which folded in early 2020. At the time, many of Kew’s Canadian subsidiaries raced to exit the media group, with Cohen announcing in March 2020 that he had entered an agreement to repurchase the company.

“Since the repurchase of Media Headquarters, the company has entered an exciting new chapter, growing rapidly and pursuing new opportunities and partnerships,” said Cohen in a release. Media Headquarters is currently wrapping production on season two of Salvage Kings for History and continuing to expand the international footprint of its Smartest Person format, which has so far been sold into 15 territories.