Marika Makaroff

Founder and CCO
Gutsy Animations

Marika Makaroff is an award-winning content creator, producer and creative director hailing from Finland. Currently the Creative Creative Officer and founder of Gutsy Animations, Makaroff has worked in media for over 20 years with past roles including creative director at Fremantle Media and Filmlance International and additionally, CEO at Fremantle Media Finland and Friday TV.

Makaroff has created multiple entertainment formats and produced some of the most iconic TV shows of recent times, including The Apprentice, Dragons’ Den, Idols, Talent, Top Model and X Factor. Makaroff has also produced high-quality drama and sold content to over 70 countries. In 2011 she won the prestigious Silver One Show award for branded content for her format Buy This. Before moving into content creation and production, Makaroff established herself as a talented broadcast journalist working across both television and radio on series including Jyrki, Wild Bunch and Under Construction Finland. In 2003 she led the series Makaroff & Modig, a political talk show she co-hosted with journalist Silvia Modig.

In 2005 Makaroff became the CEO of Fremantle Media Finland. In 2011 she became Creative Director of the company, responsible for overseeing all creative development in the Nordics. In 2014 Makaroff moved to Stockholm, Sweden to become the CEO of Friday TV. In 2015 she was appointed Creative Director of Filmlance International, the company known for creating the original format of the internationally acclaimed crime drama The Bridge.

Makaroff is currently working as creative director and executive producer for innovative new animated television series, Moominvalley. Based on the beloved Moomin books and comic strips by Finnish author and illustrator Tove Jansson, the series is produced by Gutsy Animations and has been commissioned for a third season by anchor broadcasters Sky and Yle, following an International Emmy Nomination in 2020.

Speaking at: Meet the BANFF Board of Directors and Content Advisory Board,Master Class: Moominvalley