Former HIT Entertainment COO Sangeeta Desai has joined production giant FremantleMedia as the combined COO and CFO.

FremantleMedia is currently behind more than 300 titles on air or in production, including the Idol and X Factor competition series. Its FME Kids division holds key brands such as Monsuno, Strange Hill High and Ella the Elephant.

In her new role, Desai will be responsible for the management of FremantleMedia’s operations in its London corporate center, including financial performance, legal and business affairs, IT, purchasing and procurement, and property. Desai will also sit on the company’s Board of Directors.

At HIT, Desai managed the company’s day-to-day operations, including business development and global brand management, and had global responsibility for revenue functions including TV, brands, consumer products, DVD, and live events/attractions. She also managed offices in London, New York, Hong Kong and Tokyo. Before HIT Entertainment, Desai was a Principal at Apax Partners, a private equity firm, where she had responsibility for sourcing, evaluating and executing on investments, working with management teams in the media sector globally with a particular focus on the entertainment and TV production sub-sectors.