Dominique Bourse has been appointed chairman and CEO of Cyber Group Studios, succeeding Pierre Sissmann. He was previously the company’s chief operating officer.
Bourse said, “It is a great honour to follow in the footsteps of Pierre Sissmann, my partner since 1988 when we began nearly 14 years working together at Disney. After creating and managing the first European entertainment and media venture capital fund in 2000, since 2005, we have been developing an international group, now with 300 collaborators and partners, which has become a global player in the animation industry. Today, we are opening a new chapter in our story. Building on a solid foundation, a best-in-class management team, and driven by a phase of tremendous growth in the global market, the transition of leadership will be smooth. My ambition is for our company to enter the select circle of top independent global industry leaders.”
Sissmann said, “I am extremely proud to have contributed toward creating a world leader in audiovisual animation programs with a great global team that has proven its capacity to innovate in both creative development and technology to develop the best programs. I leave it to Dominique Bourse, my partner of more than 30 years, to lead Cyber Group Studios and all its collaborators and artists to new heights and I thank him for all these years working together.”
Founded in 2005 by Pierre Sissmann and Dominique Bourse, Cyber Group Studios is an international producer and distributor of animated programs for children. The company has created and developed a large catalogue of original series, some of which, like Gigantosaurus, have become international franchises. The company’s series covers a complete range of animation styles 2D, 3D, hybrid and others, and narrative genres adventure, comedy, cartoon, and more and are aimed at a global audience of children ages three-12 and families. Their common denominator is offering rich narrative experiences, supported by a strong musical component and technological innovation, thanks to a global pool of talent, which Cyber Group Studios has been developing for many years.
The company has internalised the value chain: It develops, produces, and exploits its series’ media rights with linear broadcasters, streaming platforms, and OTTs worldwide.
Cyber Group Studios also produces and/or distributes series owned by third-party producers, such as the production partnership The Walking Dead – Last Mile with Skybound, Genvid Technologies, and Meta in 2022. The company leverages its intellectual properties with a global network of licensees and creates consumer products based on the characters in its series.
The group’s 300 employees are spread over three continents, with six development and/or production studios in France, the U.S., the U.K., Italy, and Singapore. In addition, Cyber Group Studios has developed partnerships in other countries, including China and Japan. Over the past 17 years, the group has garnered multiple nominations and international awards.
Bourse added, “Our roadmap for the coming years is to continue our international development and the growth of our development/production platforms as well as to intensify our R&D strategy and digital business to offer ever richer and more immersive entertainment experiences. We will also enter the Young Adult segment.”