Here are some of the top personnel moves in marketing over the last week.
HBO Names Chris Spadaccini As Head Of Marketing
Chris Spadaccini has been promoted to EVP of consumer marketing at HBO, replacing Pam Levine, who joined 20th Century Fox last month. Spadaccini has been at HBO since 1999 and will oversee marketing for HBO and Cinemax. His duties include directing all branding efforts, providing oversight for program and marketing campaigns, and guiding digital platform and marketing efforts.
Rob Stringer Becomes Sony Music Entertainment’s New CEO
Sony Music announced that Rob Stringer will take over as chief executive next year while Doug Morris, the company’s chief since 2011, will become chairman. Stringer is currently the head of Columbia Records, one of Sony’s flagship labels. During his time, Columbia became the leading label with artists such as Adele, Beyoncé, Daft Punk, One Direction and David Bowie releasing hit albums.
A+E Networks Appoints Melissa Madden Head Of Marketing UK & International
Melissa Madden has been named to the newly created role of head of marketing UK & international at A+E Networks. In this role, Madden will be responsible for showcasing A+E Networks content to the international marketplace. She will also run trade and consumer marketing in addition to providing support to the A+E’s content sales division. Madden joins from BBC Worldwide, where she served as SVP of content marketing and creative, leading consumer and trade marketing strategy, global channels strategy and Masterbrand.
Mattel Creations Named Two New Execs
Cheryl Gresham has been named VP of global media & marketing, and Justin Richardson has been named vice president of global content distribution & strategy at Mattel Creations—a centralized theatrical, television and digital content division from Mattel Inc.
According to a press release, Gresham will be “responsible for leading the company’s global media team in the development and execution of its brands’ media strategies, with a focus on accelerating brand growth through increased consumer awareness and engagement.” At the same time, Richardson will “oversee Mattel’s global content distribution portfolio of iconic brands such as Thomas & Friends, Barbie, Monster High, Hot Wheels, American Girl, Ever After High and many more with distribution teams in the US, Asia, Europe, Russia, the Middle East and Africa.”
Dan Lovinger Named NBCUniversal Sports Ad Sales Chief
Dan Lovinger is stepping into the ad sales chief role at the NBC Sports Group, a position previously held by Seth Winters, who stepped down last month. Lovinger was previously the EVP for NBCUniversal’s entertainment ad sales group. In his new role, Lovinger will oversee NBCUniversal Sports’ ad sales, including major 2018 events such as the Super Bowl, the Winter Olympics and the World Cup.
Casey Shilling Named Zoës Kitchen Chief Marketing Officer
The casual Mediterranean restaurant group, Zoës Kitchen announced Casey Shilling as the company’s new chief marketing officer. Shilling joins Zoës Kitchen after almost two decades with The Container Store, where she served as vice president of marketing and public relations.
MarVista Entertainment Expands Executive Team
Independent entertainment studio, MarVista Entertainment has appointed Deena Stern, former senior vice president of marketing and digital at Esquire Network, as senior vice president of marketing and communications. At the same time, Kenny Christmas was appointed senior vice president of business and legal affairs, and Hannah Pillemer was promoted to senior vice president of development and production.
Curve Digital Dives Into VR With New Studio Head
Independent game developer, Curve Digital has appointed former Sony Interactive Entertainment London Studios executive producer Brynley Gibson as its new head of studios. In the new position, Gibson will oversee game production at Curve along with its Zöe Mode and Headstrong Games subsidiaries. He will likely use his expertise to help the studio create VR games.
Facebook Hires Former The Sims Developer As Head Of Social VR
Rachel Rubin Franklin, who previously worked at Electronic Arts to develop hit games such as The Sims will head Facebook’s Social VR branch. Franklin’s appointment comes after Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced advancements in social VR at the Oculus Connect keynote. Features include virtual meeting spaces and taking Facebook Messenger phone calls in VR.
Gregory Gopman Joins Twitter’s VR Initiative
Gregory Gopman, founder of AngelHack, has been hired as part of Twitter’s virtual reality initiative. The social media platform is working to integrate 360-degree videos and 360-degree livestreaming to its service in the coming months. It is currently unknown what Gopman’s role or responsibilities will be.
Lionsgate Appoints Gisela Asimus-Minnbergh Vice President Of Alternative Programming Sales
Reflecting the global growth of its unscripted television business, Lionsgate named Gisela Asimus-Minnbergh to the newly-created position of vice president of alternative programming sales. As stated in a press release, Asimus-Minnbergh “will be part of the team responsible for helping launch the company’s unscripted programming and format sales division globally. She will be in charge of identifying new revenue streams and business opportunities for Lionsgate’s slate of alternative programming as well as negotiating and closing format and programming deals across most European territories.”
Uninterrupted Picks Up Three New Hires
The sports-focused digital media company founded by NBA star LeBron James, Uninterrupted, has hired Matt DeMartis (former director of digital ad sales strategy at the Disney ABC Television Group) as head of marketing and brand partnerships. Additionally, Trevor McNeal, formerly HBO’s director of social media marketing, joins as director of audience development. Lastly, former ESPN producer Matt Rissmiller joins Uninterrupted as production director.
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