Xilam Announces New Senior Leadership Structure and Promotions to Support Growth

Caterina Gonnelli-Linden appointed Co-Chief Executive Officer

Camille Wiplier and Safaa Benazzouz promoted to Deputy Chief Executive Officers

Regulatory News:

Academy Award^®-nominated French animation studio Xilam (Paris:ALXIL) has announced a new leadership structure and wave of senior promotions to support the company’s new growth cycle, effective immediately. On the recommendation of the Chairman, the Board of Directors has appointed Caterina Gonnelli-Linden as Co-Chief Executive Officer. She will be supported by Camille Wiplier and Safaa Benazzouz, who have both been promoted to Deputy Chief Executive Officers.

Under this new structure, Xilam’s executive leadership will now be shared between Caterina Gonnelli-Linden and Marc du Pontavice. This will enable Marc du Pontavice to fully focus on the group’s strategy and diversification, notably through the further development of its feature film production activities.

Marc du Pontavice, CEO of Xilam: "I am delighted to put in place this new governance that reinforces and structures the leadership of Caterina, Camille and Safaa, in whom I have the greatest confidence and to whom Xilam owes many successes in recent years. By turning the page on the crisis that has hit the animation sector hard, and as we return to the path of strong growth, I hope the group's management structure will give impetus to new energy, driven by the diversity of our content and talent. This is how we will strengthen the uniqueness of our creations – the only relevant strategy to respond to market changes. In this sense, this new governance is an investment in the future."

Caterina Gonnelli-Linden, Co-Chief Executive Officer of Xilam: “I am extremely pleased and proud to take on these new responsibilities. Building on our highly talented teams, a corporate culture that fosters excellence, and a rich and diverse development slate that I am truly excited about, I look forward to immediately focusing on our new kids’ productions and turning them into the successful franchises of tomorrow.”

Alongside becoming co-CEO, Caterina Gonnelli-Linden also becomes Corporate Officer alongside Marc du Pontavice, to whom she will report. She takes operational responsibility for the development and production of children's programmes for television and digital platforms, of which she will also be a producer. Together with Marc du Pontavice, Caterina Gonnelli-Linden will share editorial responsibility for Xilam’s adult-targeted series, which he continues to follow personally. On a functional level, she oversees four departments: content, operations, distribution and HR.

At the head of the Content Division, Caterina Gonnelli-Linden has been at the helm of series that have become global successes over recent years, such as Piggy Builders and Submarine Jim, in close collaboration with Marc du Pontavice. She has established herself as a leading figure in the animation industry, both with major clients and talent.

Under her new role as Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Camille Wiplier will lead Xilam’s Operations department, which she has managed since January 2026, alongside the IT and Technical Services department. She will report into Caterina Gonnelli-Linden.

By bringing together the production teams, the group's subsidiaries, information systems and technical services under her leadership, Camille Wiplier will provide an overview of the connective links in the group's production chain – reinforcing the existing synergy between the production and technical teams. This appointment recognises her pivotal role in the structuring of the group's operations over many years and her expertise in the group's industry and organisational challenges.

As Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Safaa Benazzouz will lead Xilam’s content distribution and marketing strategy, reporting into Caterina Gonnelli-Linden. By managing the international sales, marketing and communication, digital publishing and merchandising departments, Safaa Benazzouz defines and executes the group's commercial policy worldwide, serving a content catalogue which consists of more than 3,000 episodes and is broadcast in more than 190 countries. In particular, she oversees the presence of Xilam's brands across video platforms to engage a new generation of viewers. This promotion recognises her role in the development of the Distribution department, which she has led since 2023, and her standing in the international content distribution markets.

Together, Caterina Gonnelli-Linden, Safaa Benazzouz and Camille Wiplier will offer Xilam an integrated and overarching vision of its entire value chain – from the editorial direction of content through to its commercial exploitation, including its production. This continuity between the group's business lines aims to enable more efficient and consistent decision-making at each stage of a project, contributing to overall performance of the organisation. For Xilam’s individual teams, these changes will result in a more streamlined organisation, without changing their day-to-day contacts.

Marc du Pontavice will also remain in charge of Xilam’s strategy, shareholder relations, and supervision of financial and legal services, as well as steering the group's diversification into film production, which offers significant growth opportunities. In 2024, animated films accounted for 27% of the global box office. With a planned goal of releasing one new film every year beginning in 2026, Xilam is positioning itself to become a major player in the animated film sector.

Xilam’s Executive Committee (consisting of 60% women)

• Marc du Pontavice: CEO
• Caterina Gonnelli-Linden: Co-CEO
• Camille Wiplier: Deputy CEO
• Safaa Benazzouz: Deputy CEO
• Pierre Monfort: General Counsel
• Cécile Haimet: Chief Financial Officer
• Anne Hemery: HR Director
• Guillaume Jallot: Director of Technical and IT Services.

Biographies

Caterina Gonnelli-Linden: With a degree in Japanese literature and international relations from INALCO, Caterina Gonnelli-Linden turned to the production of animated series. She spent thirteen years at France Animation, which became Moonscoop after its merger with Antefilms, where she held positions in production, literary direction and project coordination. She then joined Disney, where she managed acquisitions and co-productions for Disney Channel, Disney XD and Disney Junior for eight years, first in France and then for the entire Europe, Middle East and Africa region. Caterina joined Xilam Animation in 2020 as editorial director, then took over the management of the Content Division in February 2023. She oversees the development of original projects as well as the editorial and artistic follow-up of series in production.

Camille Wiplier: An engineer by training, a graduate of Centrale Lille and Centrale Lyon, and specialised in production management at the Gobelins, Camille Wiplier has built her career as close as possible to the realities of production. She has been working for nearly twenty years at Xilam Animation, where she held various production positions before taking over the management of the studios and overseeing the opening of the Lyon and Angoulême sites. She has supervised the production of various projects, from the feature film I Lost My Body to the series The Daltons, If I Were an Animal and, most recently, Submarine Jim. Camille has been in charge of the group's operations since January 2026. She manages performance and budgets, supervises all production and workload plans, and supports the structuring and growth of studios in France and abroad.

Safaa Benazzouz: With a bachelor's degree in finance from INSEEC and an MBA from ESG in audiovisual production, Safaa Benazzouz is fluent in four languages and has thirteen years of experience in the sector. She joined Xilam in 2019, after having participated in the launch of the company Superights, where she developed a solid expertise in international audiovisual distribution. Since September 2023, she has been heading Xilam's Distribution department, leading a team of about ten experts. Safaa is in charge of the development of a catalog of more than 3,000 episodes, with the main responsibilities of developing international sales, deploying digital exploitation, marketing activations and launching derivative products. She is also involved in several professional bodies, including SEDPA, Unifrance, and the CNC.

About Xilam

A major player in animation, Xilam is an integrated studio founded in 1999 that creates, produces and distributes original programmes in more than 190 countries for both children and adult audiences. These series and films are distributed across television, cinemas and SVOD streaming platforms including Netflix, Disney+, Amazon, Universal+ as well as AVOD streaming platforms including YouTube and Facebook. Xilam also launched TOON BOX, its brand new, kids safe, ad-free streaming platform. With its creativity and capacity for innovation recognised worldwide as well as editorial and commercial expertise at the cutting edge of its industry, Xilam is positioned as a key player of the market.

Each year, Xilam builds real successes and capitalises on its powerful historical brands including Oggy and the Cockroaches, Zig & Sharko and Chicky, as well as new properties such as Piggy Builders and Submarine Jim. Following the success of the Oscar-nominated feature film I Lost My Body, Xilam Films is pursuing its feature film strategy with Lucy Lost, which was selected for the Official Selection at the Cannes and Annecy festivals, and The Wolf, scheduled for delivery in 2027. Xilam’s strong and expanding catalogue comprises more than 3,000 episodes and several feature films. Xilam employs over 450 people across its studios in Paris, Angoulême and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Xilam is listed on Euronext Growth Paris - PEA – PME Eligibility.

ISIN: FR0004034072 - Symbol: ALXIL

For more information: www.xilam.com

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Marc du Pontavice – Chairman and CEO Cécile Haimet - CFO Phone: +33 1 40 18 72 00

Charlotte Newcombe at DDA xilam@ddaglobal.com +44 7726 901129

Image Sept Agency xilam@image7.fr Karine Allouis (Media Relations) – Phone +33 1 53 70 74 81 Laurent Poinsot (Investor Relations) – Phone +33 1 53 70 74 77