Will Oversee Television Group's Operations, Strategy and
Planning, Continues to Head All M&A Relating to
Television
SANTA MONICA, Calif. and
VANCOUVER, British Columbia,
April 20, 2017 /CNW/ -- Reflecting
her leadership role in the Company's television operations,
Laura Kennedy has been promoted to
COO of the Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF.A, LGF.B) Television Group, the
Company announced today. In her new position, she will head
up the operations, strategy and planning of the Company's
fast-growing television division, one of the largest independent
television businesses in the world, and will continue to direct all
M&A activity related to Lionsgate's television
operations. Ms. Kennedy, a 10-year veteran of Lionsgate and a
member of the Company's senior management team, will report to
Lionsgate Television Group Chairman Kevin
Beggs.
"Laura has been instrumental in helping us rapidly grow and
diversify our television business," said Mr. Beggs. "She has
a great understanding of where the industry is headed, coupled with
the ability to plan the acquisitions and internal growth that will
enable us to execute our strategic vision. We expect her to
play a valuable role in continuing to build Lionsgate Television
into a global content powerhouse."
"Laura is one of the star executives who will play a key role in
moving our Company forward," said Lionsgate Chief Executive Officer
Jon Feltheimer. "With the
recent integration of Starz and our growing investment in new
content, our opportunities to continue scaling our television
platform are greater than ever. Laura's strategic grasp,
financial acumen and deal-making ability will be an important part
of that process."
Before her promotion, Ms. Kennedy served as Lionsgate Executive
Vice President of Television Operations & Corporate
Development. In her dual roles, she has been instrumental in
the strategic acquisitions and corporate financings that have
transformed Lionsgate from a small independent studio into a
diversified multibillion-dollar global content platform.
Ms. Kennedy has worked alongside Lionsgate senior management on
a broad range of transactions including the acquisitions of
syndication business Debmar-Mercury, the television channel Pop, a
majority stake in leading reality producer Pilgrim Media and the
recent investments in U.K. production companies Primal Media and
Potboiler Television. Most recently, she was one of the
deal-makers spearheading Lionsgate's $4.4
billion acquisition of Starz.
Ms. Kennedy is also responsible for overseeing the financial
operations of Lionsgate's television business that encompasses a
roster of nearly 90 shows on 40 different networks. These include
the ground-breaking series Orange is the New Black
(Netflix), the fan favorite Nashville (CMT/Hulu), the hit drama
The Royals (E!), the acclaimed Casual (Hulu) and
the breakout success Greenleaf (OWN), as well as
eagerly-anticipated series such as Dear White People
(Netflix), which debuts on April
28th, White Famous (Showtime) and Step
Up (YouTube Red).
Additionally, she is one of the architects of Lionsgate's
rollout of a suite of OTT platforms including Tribeca Shortlist and
Laugh Out Loud, the multi-faceted partnership with global superstar
Kevin Hart and his company,
Heartbeat Digital.
Ms. Kennedy graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College with a B.A. degree in English
and American Literature and received an MBA degree from Harvard
Business School. She began her career as a talent manager for
the UK-based talent management and production company Avalon where
she assumed responsibility for Avalon's television business
development and M&A initiatives.
ABOUT LIONSGATE
Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF.A, LGF.B) is a vertically integrated next
generation global content leader with a diversified presence in
motion picture production and distribution, television programming
and syndication, premium pay television networks, home
entertainment, global distribution and sales, interactive ventures
and games and location-based entertainment.
With the acquisition of Starz, Lionsgate adds to its portfolio
of businesses the flagship STARZ premium pay network serving 24.3
million subscribers and the STARZ ENCORE platform
with 31 million subscribers. The combined company will operate five
over-the-top (OTT) streaming services and the STARZ app delivering
content directly to consumers.
The Company's feature film business spans eight labels and
includes the blockbuster The Hunger
Games franchise, the Now You See
Me series, the box office smash La
La Land, which won six Academy
Awards®, the hit franchise sequel John Wick: Chapter Two, double Oscar
winner Hacksaw Ridge, Tyler Perry's Boo! A Madea Halloween, The Shack, Saban's Power
Rangers, CBS Films/Lionsgate's Hell or High Water,
Roadside Attractions' critically-acclaimed Manchester by the Sea, Codeblack
Films' breakout concert film Kevin
Hart: Let Me Explain and Pantelion
Films' Instructions Not Included, the highest-grossing
Spanish-language film ever released in the U.S.
One of the largest independent television businesses in the
world, Lionsgate's slate of premium quality series encompasses
nearly 90 shows on more than 40 different networks. These include
the ground-breaking Orange is the New Black, the fan
favorite Nashville,
the syndication success The Wendy Williams Show, the
hit drama The Royals, the
acclaimed Casual, the breakout
success Greenleaf, the network reality shows Kicking
& Screaming and the eagerly-anticipated Candy Crush,
and hit STARZ series including Outlander, Black
Sails, Survivor's
Remorse and Power, the second highest-rated
premium pay television series of 2016.
Lionsgate's home entertainment business is an industry leader in
box office-to-DVD and box office-to-VOD revenue conversion rates.
Lionsgate handles a prestigious and prolific library of more than
16,000 motion picture and television titles that is an important
source of recurring revenue and serves as a foundation for the
growth of the Company's core businesses. The Lionsgate, Summit
Entertainment and Starz brands are synonymous with original,
daring, quality entertainment in markets around the
world. www.lionsgate.com
For more information, please contact:
Peter Wilkes
Lionsgate
PWilkes@lionsgate.com
(310) 255-3726
Or
Cristina Castañeda
Lionsgate
CCastaneda@lionsgate.com
(310) 255-5114
To view the original version on PR Newswire,
visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/laura-kennedy-promoted-to-coo-of-lionsgate-television-group-300442350.html
SOURCE Lionsgate