The merry-go-round of executive moves.

It has long been an accepted truth that ours is a "people business." It is also an undeniable reality that, increasingly, these people move. That is, perhaps, why some of our products are called "movies." Here, VideoAge offers a brief round up of some of the "moves" that have taken place since last October's MIPCOM market. While we couldn't cover all the changes since MIPCOM, if you see a familiar face on an unfamiliar badge, now, at least one or two of them won't be so much of a surprise.

One very significant and very recent announcement comes from the U.S.'s Alchemy Television--producer of event television such as Karol: A Man Who Would Be Pope and Wallis and Edward--which announced the appointment of Carrie Stein as CEO. Stein is well acquainted with Alchemy. For the past 11 years, she was head of Television Longform Packaging at talent agency ICM, where she represented Alchemy. In her new role, Stein will oversee all aspects of Alchemy's business, including program finance, packaging, production and international television distribution. Given Alchemy's recent announcement that it will invest up to U.S.$220 million in around 36 productions over the next three years, Stein is likely to be a very busy lady. Commenting on her appointment, Stein noted, "Alchemy's business model is the future of television, they have forged relationships with some of the most reputable producers around the world, and are bringing their concept of event television to an international audience."

In December 2005, Discovery Networks Asia announced the appointment of Mandy Pattinson as country head and vice president, Australia and New Zealand. Pattinson took up the reins of her new job in early January 2006. Reporting to Tom Keaveny, managing director and executive vice president, Discovery Networks Asia, Pattinson will oversee Discovery Networks' operations in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific, in addition to developing new business initiatives and growth opportunities for the Discovery networks currently offered in the area. Prior to joining Discovery, Pattinson was acting general manager of the Optus platform in Australia, with responsibility for multimedia regulation and strategy as well as the negotiation of sponsorship agreements in 2000 with Olympic Partner, Westpac.

Also in Australia, Geoff Watson has been upped from general manager, Yoram Gross-EM.TV--a post he has held since 2001--to managing director. The move follows German company EM.TV's acquisition of the remaining 50 percent of Yoram Gross-EM.TV -which it did not already own--for what the company described as "a mid seven-figure ballpark number."

Meanwhile, Kevin Byles, vice president and general manager at Canada's CHUM International, announced the appointment of Quincy Raby to the post of Marketing manager, effective immediately. In her new role, Raby will be responsible for the management and execution of CHUM International's marketing initiatives for worldwide content and channel format developments. Raby joined CHUM in 1999 with responsibility for TV Affiliate Sales in the Canadian domestic market. Prior to that, she was a graphic designer and Web developer.

National Geographic Ventures has created the new post of vice president, Business Development, and filled it with Bernice Chu. In her new position, Chu will lead analysis of opportunities and negotiations and closure of domestic and international business opportunities, reporting to divisional COO and president, Edward Prince. Welcoming Chu to her new post, Prince asserted, "Bernice will be a great asset in helping the entertainment and digital media divisions extend the National Geographic brand into a wider array of entertainment businesses and to take advantage of the new opportunities in the digital marketplace." Chu brings more than ten years of legal and entertainment experience with her, having previously served as vice president Legal Affairs, Playboy Entertainment Group. Before that, she was director, Business and Legal Affairs, for Twentieth Century Fox.

Acorn Media in the U.K. has announced the appointment of Paul Holland as managing director. Holland will work alongside the existing managing director, Lesley Fromant, until she returns to her native Australia in March. Acorn U.K. distributes a number of highly visible brands such as Midsomer Murders, Foyle's and classic '70s sitcom The Good Life, principally via mail order over the Internet. Holland joins the company from Granada Ventures, where he was director of Publishing.

Still in the U.K., Discovery Networks Europe announced the appointment of Simon Brown as vice president of Research. In his new role, Brown will report directly to Robin Paxton, managing director, Discovery Networks Europe, and will be charged with planning, and directing all research and development policies across the European region. He is expected to take up his post in April, when he joins the company from MTV Networks Europe, where he has held the post of vice president, Research and Planning since 1997.

Across the Atlantic, and in a very different industry, Amorette Jones was appointed as executive vice president of Marketing at IDT Entertainment. In her new role, Jones will be responsible for all marketing and branding strategies for IDT, as well as spearheading all advertising, publicity, promotions and licensing efforts for the company, where she will report to Neil Braun, IDT Entertainment's president of Feature Film and Television. Previously head of Worldwide Marketing for Artisan Pictures, Jones was responsible for marketing campaigns such as the highly innovative Blair Witch Project campaign.

It's a case of internal promotion at the U.K.'s Celador, where Selma Turajilic has been upped from head of Commercial Affairs to head of Interactive Media. Turajilic will be responsible for developing an interactive extension of the company's flagship brand, Who Wants to be a Millionaire, as well as spearheading the company's s ambition to become a leading Interactive rights agency by developing interactive solutions for Celador and third parties.

And this month, over in the Netherlands, Endemol International is welcoming ex-Celador executive Matt Creasey, who will fill the newly-created position of head of Sales, Finished Programmes. Creasey, who was responsible for program and format sales at Celador, will drive worldwide distribution of Endemol's completed programming. Previously, Endemol has seen international success with completed U.S. reality programs Fear Factor and Extreme Makeover Home Edition; Argentine telenovelas and soaps; fiction programs from Italy, Spain and the Netherlands; and a wide range of U.K. programming (spanning the comedy, fiction and documentary genres).

Last, but certainly not least, Toper Taylor, president and CEO, Cookie Jar Entertainment, announced the appointment of Jean Gauvin to the role of creative director for the company. Gauvin will be based in Cookie Jar's Montreal office and will report to senior vice president of Marketing, Kelly Ellwood. He will undertake a variety of corporate and broadcast responsibilities, ranging from corporate branding and licensing style guides to development bibles and websites. Gauvin joins from Effigi Inc, where he was vice president of Design. He brings with him over twenty years experience, during which he managed to receive numerous graphic design awards from both the U.S. and Canada.