Endemol Shine North America has hired longtime TV Academy executive Karla Pita Loor in a new role where she will head up the company’s social responsibility efforts.
As executive VP of enterprise inclusion and social responsibility, Pita Loor will report to Cris Abrego, chairman of the Americas, Banijay, and president/CEO, Endemol Shine Holdings, who made the announcement Tuesday. It’s the first position of its kind globally within Banijay.
“At Endemol Shine North America, we have embraced diversity, inclusion and social responsibility as core business and moral imperatives and committed to content and a workforce that is reflective of the rich diversity of our audiences,” Abrego said. “As a leader in the social impact and entertainment space, with a deep understanding of the power of representation, Karla will be a key partner in creating a culture of inclusivity and innovation across our company, while leading strategic partnerships with like-minded organizations.”
Pita Loor was most recently chief development officer at the TV Academy. In her new job leading all diversity and inclusion program efforts at Endemol Shine North America, he efforts will include the company and its studio labels, which include Bunim/Murray Productions, Truly Original, 51 Minds Entertainment, Authentic Entertainment, Stephen David Entertainment and Mexico City-based Endemol Shine Boomdog.
Besides her experience in organizational and brand partnerships, strategic philanthropy and social impact, is chair of the board of the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP) and serves on the advisory board of the Entertainment Industry Foundation’s (EIF) career program.
“I’ve gotten to know Cris through our work at the Television Academy and been inspired by his commitment to representation and inclusion, which is reflected in the diverse slate of programming produced by Endemol Shine North America and its studio labels,” Pita Loor said.
Abrego and other unscripted TV producers recently launched TV Academy Foundation’s recently announced Diversity and Inclusion Unscripted Internship Program. Endemol Shine North America began Banijay’s first-ever Diversity & Inclusion employee resource committee in 2019.
Pita Loor has served as chief development officer at the TV Academy for the past three years, and led the TV Academy’s philanthropic partnerships division for nearly a decade. While there, she brokered multi-million-dollar partnerships with corporations such as Dolby Laboratories, Netflix, Walt Disney, WarnerMedia, Saban Capital and Apple TV Plus. She also led on key diversity and inclusion efforts, including developing and launching the Academy’s Power of TV series.
Pita Loor spearheaded collaborations with the TV Academy and non-profits including GLAAD, Easterseals, the Alliance for Children’s Rights and the Entertainment Industry Foundation. Pita Loor first joined the TV Academy as director, strategic partnerships and marketing, in August 2013.