Eureka hires ex-Beyond exec as chief content officer

Fremantle-owned Eureka Productions has hired former Beyond Productions exec Sonya Wilkes as its chief content officer. 

Wilkes is joining the LA and Sydney-based prodco with a remit to expand its unscripted output in the US and Australia. 

She reports to chief exec Rikkie Proost and joins having worked on Beyond shows including Peacock’s Love Undercover, Hulu’s Back In The Groove and ABC’s Pooch Perfect. 

Prior to Beyond Productions, which was acquired by Banijay in 2022 before being sold back to founder Mikael Borglund in 2024, Wilkes worked held roles including head of unscripted and head of development at Seven Network in Australia. 

That stint saw her co-create and produce series including House Rules, Bride & Prejudice and My Restaurant Rules. 

Wilkes’ arrival at Eureka follows the promotion in January of Proost to chief exec, with company founders Chris Culvenor and Paul Franklin moving to lead new creative venture, Eureka Studios. It is devising and developing new content for Fremantle companies worldwide. 

Proost said: “Sonya’s extensive experience across both the US and Australian markets makes her a perfect fit to spearhead the growth of Eureka’s international slate. 

“Her leadership will be instrumental in driving creative innovation and delivering world-class content to our partners.” 

Wilkes said: “I’m looking forward to working with Rikkie and the talented teams in both the US and Australia to further elevate that success, creating bold, high impact shows that resonate with audiences across platforms.” 

Eureka’s slate includes returning series such as The Floor (pictured top) for Fox and Nine Network, Amazing Race Australia for Network Ten, The Golden Ticket for Netflix, and international music competition KPOPPED for Apple TV+.