Disney appoints Sonia Rovai as VP of Original Production for Italy

The Walt Disney Company has appointed Sonia Rovai as the Vice President of Original Production for Disney Italy. Rovai, a veteran television and film executive, will lead the Disney+ Italian team and oversee the development and production of both scripted and unscripted local original programming.

Rovai joins Disney from Wildside, the Rome-based production company owned by Fremantle, where she served as CEO. Her previous experience includes an eight-year tenure at Sky Italia, where she led the original series department and oversaw more than 80 productions, including titles such as ‘Gomorrah’ and ‘The Young Pope’.

In her new role, Rovai will report to Angela Jain, Head of Content for Disney+ EMEA. The appointment is part of Disney’s strategy to expand its international content by championing local productions with cultural authenticity. This follows the greenlighting of the series ‘Murder on Lake Garda’, directed by Laura Bispuri.