Media and entertainment continues to attract some of the smartest, most creative men and women of any business category in the country. That’s once again evident here with the B+C Multichannel News 40 Under 40 list, this one with a West Coast focus ahead of an in-person reception on June 18 at The Ebell of Los Angeles. Based on nominations from companies and individuals, the 40 Under 40 list is a cross section of executives in a range of M&E organizations who’ve shown leadership, accomplishments and potential, all before reaching the age of 40. If you know someone who should be on this list but isn’t, the good news is that B+C MCN will be publishing another list in September, that one with more of an East Coast focus. To nominate an up-and-coming individual for that list, click here. For more information on the June 18 celebration, click here.
Also Read: Wonder Women of Los Angeles 2024: Honoring the West’s Best
Amelia Amphonphong
Senior Technical Product Manager, Central Systems
Paramount Plus
With almost 10 years of media and entertainment experience, Amelia Amphonphong’s expertise is in streamlining the supply-chain management of content for seamless viewer consumption throughout TV’s ever-expanding platforms. A peer who nominated her said she has demonstrated unparalleled expertise in managing and optimizing technical processes crucial to the seamless functioning of the Paramount Plus platform. Amphonphong began her career in business operations at NBCUniversal, but discovered making foundational changes to the supply chain would require a career move into product management. “My experience in implementing software products for rights, metadata, asset and supply-chain management continues to shape and contribute to the downstream seamless viewer experience,” she said. “My ability to drive transformative changes are now at Paramount Plus, focused on consolidating and standardizing processes, which will in turn facilitate and scale our operational teams to support growth across our network umbrella of streaming services, including Paramount Plus and Pluto TV.”
Barry Buren
Television Talent Agent
Creative Artists Agency
Barry Buren, based in the Los Angeles office of CAA, represents many top actors including Eddie Redmayne, Hannah Waddingham, Pedro Pascal and Lena Headey. Within the past year, Buren helped sign new clients Matthew Rhys, Richard Madden, Anna Faris and Jason Clarke. Buren, who started out at The Gersh Agency, joined CAA in 2015 and was promoted to TV talent agent in 2019. Buren negotiated an eight-figure contract for Redmayne to executive produce and star in Peacock and Sky’s thriller series The Day of the Jackal. He also brokered deals for Headey to star in The Abandons for Netflix; Hugo Weaving to join the season four cast of Apple TV Plus’s Slow Horses; Clarke to executive produce and star in Apple TV Plus’s drama The Last Frontier; and Phil Dunster to star in the second season of Apple TV Plus’s Surface. He also brokered deals for Clive Owen, Juliette Binoche, Alden Ehrenreich, Alessandro Nivol and Ruth Wilson to star in FX’s The Retreat, Apple TV Plus’s The New Look, Disney Plus’s Ironheart, Apple TV Plus’s The Big Cigar and BBC/Amazon’s A Very Royal Scandal, respectively.
Jordan Cipala
VP, Strategy and Operations
Cox Media Group
Jordan Cipala operates as chief of staff to Daniel York, CEO of TV and radio station owner CMG, and leads in evaluating business development opportunities. He also plays a critical operational role in mergers and acquisitions, managing the company’s collection and presentation of due diligence and, post-closing, managing transition services arrangements. He was promoted from executive director of corporate operations and planning. Cipala is also the executive sponsor of CMG’s Young Professionals Network Business Resource Group. Prior to joining CMG, he was VP, strategic planning at SaaS software company Juvare; senior investment associate at Ascension Ventures; and an investment banking analyst in Raymond James & Associates’ Technology & Services group. He graduated from Vanderbilt University with a double major in economics and engineering science.
Alison Dammann
SVP of Development
Good Caper Content
At Good Caper Content, the ITV America company devoted to crime and investigative programming, Alison Dammann has led the team debuting myriad projects across broadcast, cable and streaming platforms in 2023. Her credits include Escaping Twin Flames, a top Netflix show in the U.S. for a week straight; Let Us Prey: A Ministry of Scandals for ID; Exposing Parchman for A&E, a co-production with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation; and second seasons of Oxygen’s New York Homicide and Final Moments, produced in partnership with Dick Wolf’s Wolf Entertainment. Dammann picked up nominations in 2022 at the IDA Documentary Awards and the Cinema Eye Honors Awards as an executive producer on Netflix’s Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey, developed with Participant Media and Ark Media prior to her joining Good Caper. Earlier, she was director of development at Vox Media Studios and at Mashable Studios. She was also previously on the development team at 44 Blue Productions. She began her career at Critical Content.
Alex Dunn
Global Account Manager
Amazon Web Services
Alex Dunn serves AWS’s media and entertainment customers and in 2023 helped major media companies expand streaming services to millions of additional viewers. He’s tasked with combining efforts from AWS, industry partners and customer teams to deliver marquee global events, increase streaming audiences and chart new paths for monetization. He also is leading the transformation of a major media archive that dates back to the 1930s to build a bespoke asset-management tool. This new tool will bring next-level resiliency, scalability and efficiency to one of the largest content libraries in the world. He won the AWS Media and Entertainment Rising Star Award for his contributions to solving complex customer problems and piloting industry-leading solutions. Dunn leads other Amazonians in building partnerships across the media ecosystem to build solutions with AWS. He also is active with the San Diego State University Aztec Mentor Program, where he works with students on finding internships, interview prep, résumé workshops and professionalism.
Sophie Flay
Community Journalist
KABC Los Angeles (ABC7)
Reporter Sophie Flay was part of KABC’s inaugural Community Journalist team, focusing on Central Los Angeles. She officially joined in March 2019 after interning for the Southern California station. As a student at USC, she also worked for NBC’s Today and at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics and 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. The daughter of chef and restaurateur Bobby Flay, she was nominated for a Los Angeles Press Club Award for one of her TikTok posts, and is part of the ABC7 team that won the RTNDA’s 2024 Golden Mike Award for Best Weekend Newscast. She also brings her skill set to USC as an adjunct professor, teaching storytelling for social platforms. Flay — who hosted last year’s 40 under 40 L.A. awards event — also is a mentor at Camp News, a two-day camp for young aspiring journalists.
Weston Garret Gonzalez
Owner and Creative Director
westhaus
Weston Gonzalez is a Latinx and LGBTQ+ small-business owner who conquered the world of corporate events and transitioned into high-end event production. He spent more than a decade working in-house at studios, networks and streamers, rising to event executive positions at Sony Pictures Television, Starz and Apple TV Plus, all before age 30. At 30, he left the corporate side of entertainment events and in January 2020 launched his boutique company, westhaus, specializing in event production for television series. Gonzalez said he and his team produced the first post-lockdown, in-person, non-drive-in television premiere for Starz show Run the World in Los Angeles, creating a COVID-safe environment. Last summer, the company navigated the WGA and SAG strikes and worked with clients to curate events that respected the striking artists while still supporting the hard-working teams behind the content. Other credits include fan events in Los Angeles, New York and Chicago for My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3, which included photo activations that remained up through opening weekend for the public to enjoy.
Francesca Grea
Partner, Entertainment & Sports Law Department
Fox Rothschild
Elevated to partner in 2022 in her first year of eligibility, Francesca Grea is one of only three female partners in Fox Rothschild’s Entertainment & Sports Law Department. She is a dealmaker who works with the firm’s top entertainment talent, including Angela Bassett, Courtney B. Vance, Joe Pesci, Ludacris and Teyonah Parris. She negotiated Joe Pesci’s deal to return to television in Peacock’s comedy series Bupkis. She was similarly instrumental in negotiations for projects in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including Parris’s deals for Disney Plus series WandaVision and The Marvels. She also represented Parris in her leading role for the Netflix movie They Cloned Tyrone. Grea is dedicated to mentoring junior associates within the firm’s entertainment group and the Los Angeles office in general. As a partner, she is involved in the firm’s formal mentorship program because she believes passing her knowledge along to the next generation of entertainment attorneys is another way to support continued industry diversification.
Ben Haigh
SVP, Scripted Programming & Co-Head of Scripted Series
AMC Networks
Ben Haigh is responsible for buying and developing original programming for AMC and AMC Plus, supervising projects from production to release and leading a team of creative executives. Since starting as director of scripted programming four years ago, he has climbed the ranks to SVP of scripted programming and is co-head of scripted series (with Josh Sizer, who also is on this list). Haigh has been instrumental in creating such popular shows on AMC as Kevin Can F**k Himself, Dark Winds, Tales of the Walking Dead and Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire. He is also overseeing new projects Parish and Orphan Black: Echoes. Earlier, Haigh was manager of development for David Shore at Shore Z, where he developed Sneaky Pete with Bryan Cranston and the first three seasons of The Good Doctor. He has worked at Columbia Pictures and Chernin Entertainment and was an agent trainee at Independent Talent, London. He also lectures at the UCLA School of Theatre, Film, and Television.
Rachel Horwitz Lewis
Principal, Creative Development
Amazon MGM Studios
Working under department head Lindsay Sloane, Rachel Horwitz Lewis oversees a slate of TV series including the multi-Emmy Award-winning Wednesday and The Handmaid’s Tale, as well as Prime Video’s Desperately Seeking Soulmate, while working with her network counterparts to ensure development and production of each show runs on time and budget. She also develops and oversees new series for the studio. She manages multiple writer and producer deals, including for Bruce Miller (The Handmaid’s Tale, The 100), Eric Tuchman (The Handmaid’s Tale, Kyle XY), Yahlin Chang (The Handmaid’s Tale, Dirty Sexy Money) and Renee Zellweger’s Big Picture Co. She has been a part of the MGM Television development team since 2015. She joined MGM from Tom Rothman’s TriStar Productions, where she focused on scripted television development and worked on such projects as Paterno (HBO) and The Interestings (Prime Video). She began her career in the TV Lit Department at CAA.
Scott Hunter
VP of Development
Intellectual Property Corp.
Scott Hunter manages all aspects of development for IPC, the Emmy-winning Sony Pictures Television company known for such hits as Max’s Selena + Chef and The Climb, Hulu’s The D’Amelio Show and Netflix’s Indian Matchmaking, Jewish Matchmaking and Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer. Most recently, Hunter was instrumental to IPC’s Second Chance Stage, a talent competition offering contestants a second chance at their big break, set for Chip and Joanna Gaines’s Magnolia Network as well as Max. Prior to joining IPC, Hunter spearheaded development at Karga Seven Pictures, responsible for over 100 hours of programming across 15 platforms, including History’s The Hunt for the Zodiac Killer, National Geographic’s Atlas of Cursed Places, Netflix’s Shot in the Dark and Discovery’s Mystery at Blind Frog Ranch. He brings a broad and creative expertise to his role as a development executive, empowered by his previous successful forays into writing and production.After studying TV, radio & film and history at Syracuse University, he wrote and produced for titles including Joe Rogan Questions Everything on Syfy while serving as a development consultant for unscripted production companies in Los Angeles and New York.
Jessica Kastlunger
Senior Marketing Manager
Samsung TV Plus
Jessica Kastlunger is a dedicated and passionate marketing leader with over 10 years of experience working for media and technology giants such as Samsung Electronics America, NBCUniversal, Paramount and iHeartMedia. At Samsung TV Plus North America, she plays a pivotal role for one of the fastest-growing and largest free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) services. She works closely with content and channel partners to identify needle-moving programming for promotion across Samsung TV Plus’s extensive marketing arsenal. As an instrumental part of two rebrands in the FAST space over the past four years (at Pluto TV and then Samsung TV Plus), she is building the TV marketing experience of the future. She also leads the development of promotional videos that raise awareness for the Samsung TV Plus brand and its robust content offering, which spans 350-plus live channels and thousands of on-demand movies and shows.
Luke Kelly-Clyne
Co-Head, Hartbeat Independent
Hartbeat
Luke Kelly-Clyne is a producer, writer, director and co-head of Hartbeat’s independent TV and film studio, Hartbeat Independent, alongside co-head Kevin Healey and reporting to president and chief content officer Bryan Smiley. He oversees such film and TV projects as Roku’s Die Hart and E!’s Celebrity Prank Wars. Before joining Hartbeat, he was president of Propagate Content’s comedy studio Big Breakfast and executive producer of its slate of scripted and unscripted features, TV shows and digital projects, including MTV Films’s Out of Office and Cursed Friends (both of which he also produced), Discovery Plus’s Critics Choice Award-nominated Million Dollar Wheels, truTV’s Double Cross With Blake Griffin, Comedy Central’s Loafy, Facebook Watch’s Telly Award-winning I Want My Phone Back, NAACP Image Award-winning Daring Simone Biles, Discovery and MotorTrend’s Kevin Hart’s Muscle Car Crew and Pop TV’s Hot Date, where he served as showrunner. From 2013 to 2016, he ran native content at CollegeHumor. He was also a freelance contributing writer to “Weekend Update” on Saturday Night Live.
Rebecca Rolnick Knaack
SVP of Entertainment
Metro Public Relations
Rebecca Rolnick Knaack leads Metro Public Relations’s TV and film division with a focus on strategic communications services. Since joining Metro in 2017, she has been instrumental in expanding the division’s reach, overseeing a bicoastal team that drives campaigns for key clients including Disney, Prime Video, Lionsgate and World of Wonder. Her expertise extends to representing clients including media companies, producers, writers and directors, offering services in corporate communications, personal brand messaging, content strategy and influencer marketing. Notable clients under her leadership include the RuPaul’s Drag Race franchise, Hartbeat, Mortal Media and producers Dan Harmon, Marta Kauffman and Yeardley Smith’s Paperclip Ltd. Recent projects include the revival of the beloved Mighty Ducks franchise for Disney Plus; the launch of Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, featuring Marvel’s first Black superheroine; and the international expansion of RuPaul’s Drag Race to over 15 territories. Prior to Metro, she honed her skills during four years in PMK*BNC’s television department and began her career as an assistant at Gersh.
Vivian Kwok
VP, Casting
20th Television
Vivian Kwok oversees casting on some of The Walt Disney Co.-owned 20th Television’s award-winning and critically acclaimed upcoming and returning comedies and dramas, including Disney Plus’s hit Percy Jackson and the Olympians; The Last Thing He Told Me, starring Jennifer Garner, on Apple TV Plus; Hulu’s Welcome to Chippendales, starring Kumail Nanjiani; the upcoming series Interior Chinatown; and the Disney Plus series American Born Chinese, Doogie Kamealoha, M.D. and The Santa Clauses, starring Tim Allen. She moved over from head of the research department in 2019. Kwok takes a human approach to casting, always advocating for actors while keeping the studio’s best interests at hand. She is a leading member of Disney’s AAPI Women’s Talent Network program, opening up access to leaders throughout the company, along with the 20th Television Action Group (TAG), whih demonstrates the studio’s commitment to amplifying diversity, equity and inclusion internally and externally. She also was selected to participate in a program with Disney leaders advocating for more industry representation.
Lady Learned
Senior Director, Content Programming & Strategy
Tubi
Lady Learned spearheads Fox-owned Tubi’s content strategy and global programming initiatives, encompassing third-party licensing, Tubi Originals, sports and FAST channels. She is crucial in guiding the editorial direction and content-centric merchandising tactics for Tubi’s library of more than 200,000 movies and TV episodes. Learned was instrumental in Tubi’s transition when it was acquired by Fox, seizing the new opportunities presented head-on. After overseeing the onboarding of key Fox Entertainment programming onto Tubi, she used performance insights to improve merchandising for Fox content. Two years ago, she oversaw a deal between Tubi and Lionsgate, adding 30 new premium feature films over three years and leveraging audience insights to include 200 high-engagement movies. In 2023, she helped drive a deal between Tubi and Warner Bros. Discovery, adding high-caliber content such as Westworld, The Nevers and FBoy Island. Before joining Tubi, Learned was instrumental in shaping the global content strategy and analysis at iflix, an ad-supported video-on-demand service and a subscription VOD service focused on emerging markets.
Tom Lerner
VP, Programming and Creative
A+E Studios
Tom Lerner is at the forefront of creative development for A+E Studios. This strategic creative affairs executive is passionate about his projects and well-regarded among producers and showrunners (in addition to studio and network partners). Shows Lerner oversees include the hit series The Lincoln Lawyer, from writer and executive producer David E. Kelley and based on the bestselling novels from Michael Connelly. Netflix renewed the series for season three. He also is responsible for high-profile development projects such as the Sue Grafton series Lazarus, starring Tom Hardy and Zazie Beetz, at Apple TV Plus and the as-yet-unamed Michael Bay/Joe Barton series at Prime Video. He has spoken on panels for the WGA and the A+E Studios Famila ERG, focused on Latino experiences in Hollywood. Prior to A+E, Lerner was head of television for Landscape Entertainment. A native Spanish and Hebrew speaker born in Israel to Argentine and Colombian parents, he started in the entertainment business at Myriad Pictures.
Alona LeSchack
Executive Director, Commercial Product Planning
Sony Pictures Television
Alona LeSchack leads national product, lifecycle and promotional planning for Sony Pictures Entertainment’s iconic library of new-release and catalog films across U.S. transactional digital platforms such as Prime Video, Apple TV, Fandango at Home and Google Play. She also creates revenue-maximizing strategies for transactional film sales in the dynamic home-entertainment window and on SVOD. Previously, LeSchack was manager of product development and brand management at Universal Pictures. There, she managed the new release calendar and created revenue-maximizing weekly strategies for new releases and catalog films. Prior to Universal, LeSchack held a marketing internship at SPE focused on the streaming business. She began her career as the head of the sponsorship department at Initiative Media in Moscow, Russia.
Julian Malagon
VP, Development
Sony Pictures Television
Since joining SPT’s kids division in September 2022, Julian Malagon has been responsible for helping the studio develop new projects for the next generation of younger viewers based on iconic IP from its vast content library. He has been instrumental in growing SPT’s global footprint in the kids’ space and is currently developing a wide range of titles that span preschool, bridge and 6-plus audiences, as well as game shows and sports shows for children. Some of those titles include kids’ versions of Wheel of Fortune, Shark Tank, Bewitched and Charlie’s Angels. He came to SPT from Netflix, where he was a content executive, overseeing animated series for 6-plus audiences, including My Dad the Bounty Hunter, Daniel Spellbound and The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog. Prior to Netflix, he worked with Atomic Cartoons, where he helped develop series such as The Last Kids on Earth, Princess Power and Hello Ninja. He began his career in animation supporting some of the most renowned titles in the industry, including The Simpsons and Bob’s Burgers.
Cameron Miille
Chief Revenue Officer
Publica by IAS
Integral Ad Science, a leading global media measurement and optimization platform, last month tapped Cameron “Cam” Miille to lead the global Publica by IAS revenue team, reporting to IAS CEO Lisa Utzschneider. Miille had been named to the “40 under 40” for his prior role at Comcast-owned advanced advertising firm FreeWheel, where he was head of revenue and growth, Americas. There, he oversaw $1 billion in revenue under management while running sales, account management and strategy for sell-side partners, agencies, trading desks and demand-side platform partnerships. In his six years at FreeWheel, he was integral to connecting buyers and sellers, optimizing campaigns, providing transparency and advancing the company’s products. When FreeWheel combined the sales and revenue teams of its two core products in June 2023, Miille was the first choice to lead the newly defined business unit and a team of 80. Prior to FreeWheel, he led business development at OpenX, the independent supply-side platform for audience, data and identity targeting.
Julia Moonves
SVP, Advertising Sales and Brand Partnerships
pocket.watch
At pocket.watch, a studio building kids and family entertainment franchises with some of the most popular digital creators in the world, Julia Moonves oversees all media and branded content across the gaming division, advertising partnerships and content distribution. She plays an integral role in pocket.watch’s diversification and, by identifying the fundamental needs of both content creators and brands, she created a multidisciplinary brand partnerships division that ranges from custom video to gaming and metaverse integrations and to Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act-compliant paid media. Her strategy has led to large programs with major brands, including Mattel, Hasbro, Lego, Netflix, Paramount, Nickelodeon, Nintendo, Kraft Heinz, 2K and Amazon. Working with large streaming services to develop and package YouTube-native content into curated 11- and 22-minute episodes and series, she works to bring content from kids’ favorite creators to OTT platforms across the world. Before joining pocket.watch in 2018, Moonves had her own digital media startup in New York. Earlier, she was director of audience strategy at Maker Studios through its acquisition by The Walt Disney Co.
Kelly Morshead
Head of Marketing
Willow
Kelly Morshead is marketing lead at Willow, the premier cricket broadcaster in the U.S. and Canada. She brings 14 years of global marketing and digital communications experience to bear in this senior strategic role. Her role is essential to propelling Willow through a current hyper-growth cycle at a turning point in its 20-year history. She introduced a direct-to-consumer marketing program, achieving a 60% open rate, a testament to her ability to tailor content to diverse demographic groups. Her initiatives have driven viewer engagement, increased subscriptions and attracted more advertisers. A former lacrosse player and women’s field hockey goalie, she has volunteered in sports since she was 15 and is a fierce advocate for volunteerism and youth and community engagement in sports. From leading volunteer teams in hospitality and athlete services for the London Youth Games to being an athlete transport volunteer for the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, she’s seen it all.
Lauren Pancrazi
Senior Global Account Leader
Amazon Web Services
Lauren Pancrazi leads the U.S.-based Amazon Web Services team that supports Warner Bros. Discovery, one of media and entertainment’s largest brands. Since joining AWS in 2017, she has also supported such household M&E brands as Fox and Technicolor. In this role, she has helped customers make major transformations as they tap into AWS technologies to reshape their businesses to drive outcomes resulting in cost savings, efficiency gains and improved revenue streams. With strong product knowledge and deep customer relationships, she sets team strategy and drives cross-functional execution around customer goals. Pancrazi’s work has been recognized for its industry impact and her customers have showcased the cloud transformations supported by her and her team at numerous global industry events. At AWS, Pancrazi’s scope and responsibility has steadily increased. In her current role, she directly manages a team of seven account managers with responsibility for a cross-functional team of 21 solutions architects, customer solutions managers and technical account managers.
Ricardo Perez-Selsky
Senior Director, Digital Production Operations
Fox Sports
Ricardo Perez-Selsky oversees all original productions and the directing and producing of Fox Sports Digital’s large-scale livestreaming productions. Upon assuming his role in 2019, he has demonstrated the ability to foster innovation and push boundaries. At Fox, Perez-Selesky played an essential role in establishing a new cutting-edge digital studio dedicated to producing 20 shows per week. He was also part of the award-winning team behind digital original live-event series Ultimate College Football Road Trip, which earned a 2022 Emmy nomination. More recently, he made instrumental contributions to FIFA World Cup Now, which engaged millions of fans throughout Fox’s coverage of the Men’s World Cup in Qatar and Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Previously, he was part of the technical production team at NCompass International and served for over six years as a studio director at PopSugar. In his free time, he also produces, directs, and writes content for Silver Tongue Cinema and Cut to the Chase Films.
Santini Reali
Nonfiction Television Agent
Creative Artists Agency
Based in CAA’s Los Angeles office, Santini Reali represents many of the world’s leading personalities, musicians, producers and production companies, including Jennifer Hudson, Stanley Tucci, Meghan Trainor, Adam Lambert, Alfonso Ribeiro, Tamera Mowry-Housley, Viola Davis’s JuVee Productions, Sofia Vergara’s Latin World Entertainment, Dwyane Wade’s 59th and Prairie Productions and Russell Wilson and Ciara’s Why Not You Productions. Reali began his career at CAA in 2011. While a student at Georgetown University and later the University of Miami School of Law, his mission became clear: he would dedicate his career to amplifying the messages of people of color and the LGBTQ+ community. Immediately upon graduating in 2011, Reali drove to Los Angeles, where he was introduced to CAA co-chairman Kevin Huvane, who hired him as an assistant at the agency. He was promoted to agent in 2014. Reali’s clients span the worlds of television, motion pictures, music and fashion. He recently signed The Miss Universe Organization.
Alex Reardon
Senior Manager, Branded Content and Partnership Strategy
Fox Sports
Alex Reardon is senior manager of the Fox Sports Content Studio, where she works with client and agency partners to create multiplatform campaigns designed to reach audiences across linear and digital platforms. Day to day, she works with various teams across Sports Brand Partnerships, Sales and Sports Production to ensure all available resources are used to produce authentic partnerships between brands and Fox Sports. Joining Fox Sports in 2015, she brought a combination of dynamic experiences from previous roles in the company around marquee properties and tentpole events including Fox NFL Sunday, NASCAR, Fox Soccer and the Super Bowl. She also served in talent relations, providing her a unique perspective and deep understanding of Fox’s top-tier talent and personalities. For the third year of the “Fox Sports Dos Equis College Football Roadshow,” she led a seven-college, multi-city Friday night chalk-talk bar event series. A Philadelphia-area native, she graduated from Temple University.
Alex Rodriguez
Partner Marketing Lead, Content Distribution
TelevisaUnivision
Alex Rodriguez has over 15 years of experience working across multiple media business divisions in areas such as digital/social strategy, business development and content distribution. A sports enthusiast with an MBA, he combines strategic insights with a wealth of hands-on experience to drive successful marketing campaigns and business growth. At TelevisaUnivision, he supports all aspects of partnership management, including subscriber acquisition, engagement/retention, technical cooperation and partner marketing initiatives. He plays a key role in evaluating potential content partnerships and multidisciplinary coordination across business lines. His achievements include developing multiplatform media planning strategies and evergreen campaigns such as “Soccer Never Ends,” along with media-buying activations for key U.S. distribution accounts. Additionally, he has led efforts to create new, cost-effective initiatives to grow revenue. He’s planned, directed and coordinated Hispanic marketing and advertising campaigns for YouTube TV, Charter Communications and Comcast. Previously he worked at Zubi Advertising, NBCUniversal Enterprises and Loud and Live.
Tara Roy
Director of Original Programming
Starz
At Lionsgate-owned Starz, Tara Roy oversees the acquisition and creative development of original scripted television series. Those shows include the mighty Outlander, due to finish up its seventh season later this year; Serpent Queen; Hightown; The Couple Next Door; Blindspotting; the upcoming Three Women; and the in-production The Hunting Wives. Prior to Starz, she worked at Endeavor Content, overseeing series (Normal People, Nine Perfect Strangers) and scripted podcasts (Blackout, Ghostwriter), and at AGBO, Joe and Anthony Russo’s television studio. Originally from India, Roy has lived in South Africa and the U.K., and diverse, global storytelling is her priority. She is a 2020 alumni of the CAPE (Coalition of Asian Pacific Executives in Entertainment) Leaders Program and, at Starz, is a jury member of the Starz #TakeTheLead director’s program, which is designed to create more directing opportunities for women and people of color. She is a playwright and novelist, and has a novel set in Calcutta and Brooklyn titled The Magnificent Ruins, to be published by Hachette Books this fall.
Sahand Sepehrnia
EVP, Digital Content Strategy and Business
CBS News, Stations, Entertainment and Sports
Sahand Sepehrnia, recently promoted from SVP of streaming for CBS Stations, leads content strategy and development and business operations across all CBS streaming platforms, where he is responsible for growing streaming audiences and revenue. He also oversees the incubation and development of new streaming channels, leveraging IP across the CBS portfolio. He joined CBS in February 2022 and continues to oversee the day-to-day and long-term strategic vision for the programming, production, editorial and operational functions of CBS Stations’ 14 local streaming channels and its digital business. Under his leadership, CBS Stations collectively grew to No. 1 in streaming in its markets from being ranked No. 4, cumulating more than 8 billion minutes streamed in 2023, per CBS. Sepehrnia launched Car Chase, the first streaming channel with 24/7 police chases, and CBS News Detroit. He joined CBS Stations from The Walt Disney Co., where was executive director of content strategy and analysis for ABC Owned Television Stations. Prior to that, Sepehrnia led digital strategy for Disney/ABC Television Group.
James Shechet
Content Operations Manager
YouTube
James Shechet manages video-on-demand operations and quality for over 100 channels and more than 45 SVOD add-on services for YouTube across YouTubeTV, Primetime Channels and NFL Sunday Ticket. As a key member of the team behind the launch of YouTube’s Primetime Channels and NFL Sunday Ticket, he leads global efforts driving continuous efficiency, scalability and automation across the VOD ingestion pipeline in support of the business’s fast growth to over 8 million subscribers. Since he joined the company in 2019, YouTubeTV has grown from 1.7 million subscribers to more than 6.3 million, becoming the category leader in the vMVPD space and a Top 5 MVPD among legacy giants. Before joining YouTube, Shechet was an associate on the Fox Networks Group Distribution team supporting cable, satellite, and vMVPD deal negotiations across its network portfolio. At Fox, he also led transactional VOD business operations for hit shows such as The Simpsons, Family Guy and Bob’s Burgers. He started his career as a TV ratings and multiplatform research analyst for Disney Channels Worldwide.
Paige Sherman
Director, Digital Video Programming
Shout! TV
Paige Sherman oversees programming strategy and operations for Shout’s 11 FAST channels: three branded channels (Shout! TV, TokuSHOUTsu and Scream Factory TV), six that are show-specific (Mystery Science Theater 3000, Johnny Carson TV, The Carol Burnett Show, ALF, Farscape and Trailer Park Boys) and two genre outlets (Non-Stop ’90s and Wild West TV). She was also the mastermind and conductor of several innovative programming stunts, such as “Piranhathon” and “Chopping Mall Black Friday.” Sherman joined Shout! as a graduate of Quinnipiac University and played a key role in the rollout of Shout! TV and MST3K on the Amagi platform in 2018. Since that time, she has developed overall programming strategy and scheduling for the two channels, and quickly increased her responsibilities to programming strategy and operations for Shout’s entire portfolio of channels and a team of four channel managers. Sherman is a pioneer in the burgeoning FAST space, conceiving and implementing revolutionary approaches to programming linear channels. While the roots of FAST were established in traditional television, she marries those practices with new digital capabilities and evolving viewing habits.
Niara Simon-Hollis
Senior Marketing Director, Streaming
Tastemade
Niara Simon-Hollis leads marketing across Tastemade’s four streaming channels: Tastemade, Tastemade Travel, Tastemade Home and Tastemade en Español. During her first year at Tastemade, she launched its first-ever brand marketing campaign and on-air brand refresh (graphics, promos, and voice) for streaming and developed a breakthrough marketing campaign for FAST to enhance its status as a destination for aspiring food lovers and anyone looking to elevate their lifestyle through a carefully curated menu of enjoyable series. To promote the launch of series Worth the Hype, Simon-Hollis led a campaign that emphasized the mobility and travel nature of the show. She created a mobile food truck that traveled to three heavily-walked areas in Los Angeles. At each stop, hundreds of guests could enjoy foods from the series that were “worth the hype” — and walk away with to-go bags containing show-branded custom hoodies and trucker hats. Simon-Hollis has 10 years of experience leading marketing teams and executing campaigns across streaming, podcasts, sports, TV and e-commerce for household brands like Amazon Music, Fox Sports and Entertainment, FX, Nat Geo, Wondery and ShoeDazzle.
Josh Sizer
SVP, Scripted Programming & Co-Head of Scripted Series
AMC Networks
At AMC Networks, Josh Sizer (with co-head Ben Haigh, also on this list) oversees the creative development of new series and the production of current series, including some of the most celebrated and acclaimed original content in television and film history. He joined AMC Networks in 2020, where his credits include developing and producing Silo for Apple TV Plus. He also successfully sold high-profile developments to Netflix, FX and the BBC. His leadership extends to managing the AMC network creative team, where he was instrumental in continuing the Walking Dead universe with The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon and The Walking Dead: Dead City. He also brought the Anne Rice universe to life with Mayfair Witches. Before joining AMC, Sizer worked at Drake and Adel “Future” Nur’s DreamCrew as a creative executive, producing HBO’s Euphoria, Netflix’s Top Boy and Hulu’s Saint X. Prior to that, he served in the drama department of original programming at HBO. He started out as a literary assistant at WME in New York.
Theo Slipko
Senior Manager, Content Programming
Samsung TV Plus
Theo Slipko is an accomplished content leader with a wealth of experience in curation, programming and editorial strategy across a wide range of television products. In his role at Samsung TV Plus, he has spearheaded the conceptualization and launch of owned-and-operated linear FAST Channels. With a sharp eye for cultural trends and user behavior, Slipko and his team manage day-to-day programming, execute creative editorial stunts and strategically plan content exhibitions to maximize title usage. He has overseen growth of Samsung’s O&O channels from the first two in 2019 to the current lineup of 2,500-plus channels, identifying key content of interest. He also led the rebrand and franchising of Samsung’s most successful O&O channel, the Movie Hub, creating genre-based channels such as Movie Hub Action, Movie Hub Holiday and Movie Hub Romance. Prior to Samsung, he was at MGM Studios as manager of TV programming and senior coordinator, library management. Early on, he was a key production assistant for American Idol during seasons 12 and 13.
Carissa Joy Smith
VP, Government Relations
Fox Corp.
Carissa Joy Smith is responsible for building valuable connections with stakeholders across diverse industries, effectively positioning Fox Corp.’s brands to cultivate key alliances for successful strategic outcomes. Her role fosters transformative policy and community engagement, a commitment she has consistently demonstrated throughout her career. Having moved to Los Angeles from the Washington, D.C., Fox office, she also advances the company’s intergovernmental relations strategy by engaging with federal, state and local officials. She has a background in government and political campaigns, which gave her a foundation in private and public-sector strategies. Before her tenure at Fox, she served as White House Senior Adviser of Public Engagement, Presidential Transition Team Engagement Adviser, Biden-Harris 2020 Presidential Campaign National Women’s Vote Director and Digital Director and press secretary for the House Congressional Oversight and Reform Committee Majority. She is an alumna of The Aspen Institute Rising Leaders in National Security Cohort, American University’s We Lead Institute and the Congressional Black Caucus Institute. Smith was awarded HBCU Buzz’s 2022 30 under 30 honor and was profiled in Essence, PopSugar and theGrio.
Kameron Tarlow
President, Development and Production
Two Shakes Entertainment
Kameron Tarlow was handpicked to launch Damon Wayans Jr.’s production company Two Shakes Entertainment in 2018 at CBS Studios, where it recently renewed its deal for a fourth term. He quickly established himself when the first pilot he championed, Glamorous, was the only non-IP pilot picked up to shoot that year. It starred Brooke Shields and was directed by Eva Longoria. While Glamorous didn’t move forward at The CW in 2019, Tarlow led the project’s move to Netflix, where it went to series in 2023 starring Kim Cattrall and Miss Benny. In addition to Glamorous, Tarlow is producing the company’s current series Raid The Cage and Poppa’s House, both for CBS. He also recently sold a feature, based on another busted CW pilot that he remained passionate about, that centers on LGBTQIA+ protagonists. Earlier, Tarlow was director of development at Hazy Mills Productions, overseeing scripted TV/film and theater divisions. There, he successfully oversaw multiple series, the feature Lazy Susan and was involved in SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical.
Anne Vander Kooy
VP, Current Programming
Universal Content Productions (UCP)
At UCP, a division of Universal Studio Group, Anne Vander Kooy manages day-to-day current series produced by the studio for a variety of cable and streaming platforms. She’s been instrumental in the success of several critically acclaimed projects, including Based on a True Story, Dr. Death, A Friend of the Family, The Resort and Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy. Vander Kooy works closely with the studio’s development team on series pickups; offers feedback and notes on creative materials from pitch through production; and manages the hiring of producers, writers and directors with a focus on new and emerging voices. She partners with the studio’s roster of prolific producers — including Nick Antosca, Patrick Macmanus and more — and collaborates with platform partners to ensure the successful execution and longevity of each series. She reports to Kenny Tsai and Rebecca Franko, senior VPs and co-heads of current programming at UCP. Vander Kooy joined the UCP team as manager of current programming in 2018 and was quickly elevated to director and then VP. Previously, she was at NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment after roles at 20th Century Fox Television and WME.
Adam Waltuch
EVP, Global Distribution and Partnerships
TelevisaUnivision
Adam Waltuch is responsible for global streaming and international linear distribution at TelevisaUnivision, where he co-leads distribution and partner marketing for domestic and international linear channels. He reports to CEO Randy Falco and ViX CEO Pierluigi Gazzolo. Waltuch supervises cross-functional international teams and directs business development for streaming service ViX and the company’s FAST channels. He joined TelevisaUnivision as senior VP of streaming partnerships in 2022. Previously, Waltuch was director of partner marketing for U.S. and Canada at Netflix. During his nearly six-year tenure, he held several roles with increasing responsibility, including head of marketing partnerships for Latin America. He led his team during the exponential Netflix growth across the region, managing relationships with broadband providers and several consumer brands. Prior to Netflix, Waltuch was a Google executive in Buenos Aires, Argentina; Santiago, Chile; and Mountain View, California, leading teams behind products like Google Cloud and AdWords.
Megan Weiss
Director of Sales
Ampersand
Megan Weiss began her career as a successful linear and streaming advertising sales account executive in broadcast and cable. From there she was promoted to senior account executive, account director and then director of sales at Ampersand, the local ad sales unit owned by Comcast, Charter Communications and Cox Communications. In 2023, because of her leadership, innovation skills and ability to drive meaningful change and results within the West Division, she was one of a few directors of sales invited to attend Ampersand’s Senior Leadership Team gathering in New York. She is a mentor to many of the region’s sales support staff and has emerged as a leader in the West Division and among her director of sales peers across the companies. She has grown and maintained relationships with key agencies such as Horizon, Ocean Media, GroupM, Palisades Media, and Canvas. Throughout her career, she has achieved notable accomplishments, including exceeding personal and team revenue targets, and has been recognized as one of the top-performing sales executives in multiple roles.
Matt Wilson
VP, Group Media Director, Investments
Mediahub
Matt Wilson leads the Fox Entertainment and Fox Sports investment team at media buying and planning agency Mediahub. Since joining the agency in 2019, he has been a leader who inspires a spirit of teamwork and partnership, brokers custom industry-first deals and spearheads data-driven approaches that give the Fox clients flexibility and accountability. Prior to Mediahub, he worked at LegalZoom, overseeing offline acquisition marketing. Before that, he was with Fox when offline media planning and buying was handled in-house. Working on the Fox business in-house and on the agency side, he has had a hand in launching some of the most memorable shows and high-profile national campaigns for its entertainment and sports brands over the last decade. Highlights include the first season of Empire; the returns of 24: Live Another Day and The X-Files, the “farewell” season of American Idol on Fox; all 11 seasons of The Masked Singer; and multiple Super Bowls, World Series and World Cups. He successfully onboarded Fox Entertainment as one of the exclusive tune-in launch partners with the Netflix and Disney Plus ad-supported launches earlier this year.
