July 27, 2024
Welcome to Media Play News’ seventh annual 40 Under 40 — our yearly celebration of the rising as well as established young executives in home/digital entertainment.
As we noted last year, nearly all distribution channels lead to the home, thanks to streaming and the alphabet soup of acronyms — SVOD, TVOD, AVOD and FAST — consumers use to access content in the home or on the go.
Accordingly, the executives responsible for delivering movies, TV shows and other filmed content directly to consumers play a high and mighty role in determining not just what gets watched, but also what gets produced.
The Media Play News 40 Under 40, Class of 2024, includes a diverse roster of young stars who are shaping the future of the entertainment business. They represent the studios, the streamers, the distributors, the marketers and the third-party service providers who make it all happen.
Once again, our honorees are listed in random order.
Tiffany Cruz, 30
Director, Global Content Marketing, Motion Picture Group
Lionsgate
Cruz oversees the lifecycle of worldwide strategies on multi-platform films, from production through theatrical and into home entertainment, collaborating with cross-functional teams and third-party distributors. She led campaigns for Ordinary Angels, starring Hilary Swank and Alan Ritchson, and Unsung Hero, building on and expanding Lionsgate’s successful history in the faith space. Cruz is actively planning several high-profile global campaigns for films including White Bird, Kill and Anniversary. She began her career with Bloom Media and Endeavor Content as the marketing liaison for worldwide territories for such films as The Nice Guys and AMC’s Emmy-nominated “Killing Eve.”
Dan Preston, 30
Manager, Sales Planning and Analysis, Motion Picture Group
Lionsgate
Preston is a key member of the team providing financial and strategic analysis for Lionsgate’s library acquisitions, including the modeling and diligence for the company’s valuation of the eOne library across all distribution avenues. He also worked on key distribution deals for StudioCanal films in the U.S. and Canada, the American Zoetrope library, and Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill and Jackie Brown. Preston joined Lionsgate in 2016 as an analyst and after a series of promotions was named to his present position in May 2022. He began his career at Lionsgate as an analyst in sales planning, focusing on transactional home entertainment.
Laura Ghisiglieri, 30
Director of Marketing and Global Development
BB Media
Ghisiglieri oversees marketing, press and global development at BB Media, a leading global data science and market research firm in the media and entertainment industries. She joined the company eight years ago as a marketing analyst, playing a pivotal role in BB Media’s transformation from a traditional market research company into a data science leader. She currently manages a team of six and drives expansion beyond Hispanic America, including the launch of BB Media’s Los Angeles office. She provides strategic guidance to content buyers and sellers, and serves as key account manager for major clients such as Netflix, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Nicole Baio, 34
Director of Platform Insights and WatchFree+ Partnerships
Vizio
Baio leads the WatchFree+ partnership team, who work with Vizio’s content and studio licensors to grow engagement and revenue. She also manages the team responsible for Platform and WatchFree+ insights, overseeing development of reporting tools and providing strategic guidance to executives throughout the Vizio organization. Her team’s contributions in this vertical include analyses that help optimize Vizio’s Home Screen and grow engagement. Baio’s efforts have been foundational to the success of WatchFree+, including her work in developing data-driven programming tools for Vizio’s owned-and-operated channels. Prior to joining Vizio in 2021, Baio spent seven years at the Game Show Network in distribution and marketing.
Adam Protextor, 38
Physical Product Manager
Shout! Studios
Protextor oversees the large physical catalog library at Shout! Studios, brand-managing the popular Scream Factory and Shout! Select product lines and working interdepartmentally to direct physical strategy for the company. An omnivorous fan of film with a background in independent production (and video store clerking), he is involved every step of the way on physical releases, from curation and financial analysis to production and marketing rollout. Protextor joined Shout! in 2023 after relocating from Austin, Texas, where he co-founded the city’s first-ever hip-hop festival, managed his own independent production house, and regularly produced and performed live music and comedy.
Alexandra Viglione, 31
VP, Partnerships
Cineverse
Viglione oversees strategic alliances between Cine-verse’s content and distribution partners in streaming. She is charged with fostering collaborative relationships, and developing impactful partnerships, for the company’s portfolio of more than two dozen SVOD, AVOD and FAST channels. Viglione is also a member of OTT.X Women in OTT, advocating for women’s leadership in the streaming industry. Viglione has been with Cineverse for nearly 10 years. She was promoted into her present position last February, after three years as executive director of partnerships. Viglione joined Cineverse as digital marketing manager for Cineverse Networks in December 2014 after working in TV development at Lionsgate.
Michael Coronado, 38
Head of Film Restoration
Duplitech
Coronado and his team restore more than 150 film titles a year for Blu-ray Disc and 4K Ultra HD release. At Duplitech, he oversees the restoration projects for Shout! Studios, Kino Lorber, Synapse, ClassicFlix and other independent film distributors. “My main goal is to keep the director’s true vision and provide our viewers with the best quality of work,” he says. “Restoration plays a major role in physical media.” Coronado has been in the film restoration business for nearly two decades and studied under some of the original digital restoration artists early in his career. Prior to joining Duplitech in 2017, he worked as a restoration artist at NBCUniversal.
Gabriella Patruno, 33
Director, Media Partnerships
PBS Distribution
Patruno leads media partnerships for PBS Distribution, managing channel launches and content delivery across SVOD, TVOD and FAST/AVOD platforms such as Amazon, Apple, Roku and Pluto. Patruno joined PBSd in 2020 as manager of media partnerships, and was promoted into her present position in October 2023. She has played a key role in doubling delivery output and achieving 99% on-time launches. Patruno was also instrumental in launching such FAST channels as PBS Food, PBS Antiques Roadshow, and PBS Retro. She ensures high-quality video deliverables with accessibility features and accompanying data for better discovery and presentation. Previously, Patruno led digital content operations at OutsideTV.
Melissa Schall, 34
Director, Strategy and Business Planning
Warner Bros. Discovery Content Sales
Schall plays a lead role in driving strategy, planning, and analysis for WBD’s content licensing team, focusing on U.S. and multi-territory linear and streaming sales initiatives. She is also responsible for identifying and developing new content monetization opportunities for WBD’s vast library, including building out its Diginet business and serving as the strategy lead for its 50-plus syndicated FAST channels. Schall joined WBD in 2019 as part of its executive development rotational program, completing rotations across Warner Bros. Television divisions. She began her entertainment career as a feature development executive at Lionsgate, where she oversaw films including Deepwater Horizon.
Jennifer Buss, 29
Manager, Sales Planning and Library Management
Warner Bros. Discovery Content Sales
Buss plans and executes sales initiatives and goals for the WBD content sales team, which she joined in 2021 as an analyst in sales planning. In her current role, which she assumed in April, Buss works closely with the content licensing sales team in the deal process. She also collaborates with the media research and strategy teams to identify and analyze market trends and client buying patterns. Buss also oversees the research and development of curated lists of WBD content for licensing opportunities by WBD clients. Prior to joining WBD, Buss worked at The Walt Disney Co. as a research analyst.
Gaianeh Avanessian, 32
Director, Business Development and Licensing
Warner Bros. Discovery Content Sales
Avanessian leads transactional licensing negotiations for WBD’s global partners Amazon and Google as well as other broadband, satellite and cable businesses. She played a pivotal role in launching premium VOD and digital sellthrough product during theater closures at the onset of the pandemic and continues to grow WBD’s transactional business across various content licensing windows. She also leads third-party movie clip licensing initiatives. Avanessian began her career as a CPA at Ernst & Young, then moved to NBCUniversal before joining Warner Bros. Home Entertainment in 2019 as a senior analyst, quickly rising through the ranks to her current role.
Tuan Truong, 37
Senior Manager, Financial Planning and Analysis
Studio Distribution Services (SDS)
Truong is a key finance leader within Studio Distribution Services, the joint venture between Warner Bros. Discovery and Universal Pictures to distribute physical media. In addition to managing the relationships with the company’s studio finance partners at WBD, he also leads SDS’s consolidated financial reporting and forecasting processes. In 2024 Truong led the creation of SDS’s long-range plan, which will provide numerous strategic benefits and key insights. Truong joined SDS when it was formed in 2021; he previously spent four years at WBD on the Technology FP&A team and, before that, eight years at Fox Broadcasting and NBCUniversal in a variety of FP&A roles.
Kelsie Brouthers, 31
Retail Marketing Manager
Studio Distribution Services (SDS)
Brouthers is making a significant impact in retail marketing at SDS, the joint venture between Warner Bros. Discovery and Universal Pictures to distribute physical media. She leads the development and executions of new-release retail exclusives and retail-specific creative materials for in-store and online events for the company’s retail partners. She continues to lead the execution of hit retail exclusives for key intellectual properties from Illumination, DreamWorks and the DC Universe. In 2023, she managed the Clio Silver Award-nominated The Super Mario Bros. Movie Walmart exclusive gift set. Brouthers began her marketing career in 2019 in retail merchandising and trade marketing. She joined SDS in 2022.
Jon Gonzalez, 35
VP, Partner Management
Crunchyroll
Gonzalez leads the partnerships team across first-party app and third-party a la carte channels for Crunchyroll, the SVOD service, owned by Sony, that distributes Japanese anime films and TV series. He joined the company in September 2023 and leads the global distribution pact with Amazon that brought Crunchyroll’s 24,000 hours of content to Prime Video. Prior to joining Crunchyroll, Gonzalez spent more than four years at AMC Networks and RLJ Entertainment, overseeing the channels and TVOD business. Before that he was a senior analyst at 20th Century Fox, where his focus was on international VOD, electronic sellthrough and PPV sales.
Adrian Atkins Doyle, 36
Director, Digital Marketing
Warner Bros. Discovery Content Sales
Doyle has managed digital and social media marketing for Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment for the past six years, shaping compelling content across more than 800 social channels. He recently spearheaded innovative new-release and catalog film YouTube marketing strategies, including the expansion of online video channels by collaborating with cross-functional teams and partners to generate monetization on the platform. Internally, he’s designed many of his department’s processes and procedures to provide support and leadership for the team. Prior to joining Warner in 2018, Doyle spent more than two years at Lionsgate, where he rose to producer of digital creative.
Alex Constantin, 34
Director, Commerce and Partner Operations, Streaming
The Walt Disney Co.
Constantin oversees operations to enable global commercial sales, partnership launches and distribution of Disney+ in more than 130 countries and territories, as well as Hulu and ESPN+ in the United States. His organization drives revenue and subscriber growth and plays a critical role in enabling the company to scale its streaming portfolio globally. Constantin was part of the global launch team for Disney+, leading strategic finance for the streamer. Previously, he led business intelligence and analytics at Lionsgate for the studio’s portfolio of niche streaming services. Constantin started his career at JPMorgan Chase, where he held a variety of cross-functional roles.
Horane Henry, 36
Executive Director, Software Engineering
The Walt Disney Co.
Henry is responsible for overseeing engineering teams that develop operator tooling and workflow orchestration systems for Disney’s streaming platforms. He is charged with creating a unified ecosystem that allows the media operators to seamlessly publish content to Disney’s direct-to-consumer streaming products, including Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+. In his eight years at The Walt Disney Co., Henry has held various roles dealing with technology, leading significant development efforts on high-impact projects such as Hulu Live TV, Disney+ on Apple Vision Pro, and Hulu on Disney+. Henry is a graduate of New Jersey Institute of Technology’s Newark College of Engineering and the Martin Tuchman School of Management.
Dorothy Ballowe, 28
Senior Manager, Direct-to-Consumer Communications,
Disney Entertainment
The Walt Disney Co.
Ballowe helps drive corporate and brand communications for Disney-owned Hulu, spearheading press strategy and media relations for the streaming platform’s marketing campaigns, partnerships and content programming updates. Previously, she supported platform distribution and content licensing deals, including high-profile MVPD and dMVPD carriage agreement renewals and DTC third-party promotional partnerships. Ballowe began her career in home entertainment publicity, leading the team to win a Shorty Award in 2023 for Multicultural Community Engagement for the Turning Red campaign and a PRism Award in 2020 for the Ford v Ferrari campaign.
Katie Ruben, 31
Director, Cross Platform Group
Screen Engine/ASI
Ruben oversees research across home entertainment, streaming and technology sectors at Screen Engine/ASI, a market research and analytics firm. Her duties include managing a weekly home entertainment tracker that measures at-home consumer demand for all wide theatrical releases throughout the film’s lifecycle. Ruben consults weekly with studio and streaming clients to provide audience insights that guide marketing and branding strategies across platforms — physical, digital and SVOD. Additionally, she has worked on numerous studies to help clients better understand the entertainment ecosystem, including AVOD/FAST landscape studies, TV viewership journey research, and the impact of bundling and digital collectibles in downstream windows.
Jorge Guevara, 30
Senior Manager of Business Operations
Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
Guevara plays a pivotal role in driving technological advancements within Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, ensuring continued adaptability in the dynamic, and ever-changing, industry landscape. He strategically devises plans to develop systems under his purview, facilitating new business initiatives and fostering business growth. Notably, when UPHE introduced the premium video-on-demand (PVOD) window, Guevara effectively adapted systems to operationalize this innovative business line, seamlessly integrating it into the division’s workflows. Guevara joined Universal in 2019 and assumed his current position in 2023. Guevara is certified as a Project Management Professional by the Project Management Institute.
Rachel Creagan, 37
Senior Manager, Global Creative Services
Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
Creagan manages tentpole live-action new-release campaigns for UPHE’s Global Creative Services team, and in recent months has worked on such films as Jurassic World Dominion, Cocaine Bear, The Exorcist: Believer, Five Nights at Freddy’s and Oppenheimer. She ensures the timely delivery of creative marketing materials, managing the creative development workflow, budgets, and deadlines between creative agencies, internal and external stakeholders and media partners. Beyond her daily responsibilities, Creagan also leads IT development projects to optimize the creative marketing workflow, leveraging users across UPHE to evaluate and implement new systems. Creagan began her career with UPHE as a contractor prior to formally joining the company in September 2012.
Hallory Sindelar, 33
Senior Digital Marketing Manager
Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
Sindelar is responsible for the organic social media strategy and influencer programs in the home entertainment window for Universal Pictures’ new-release live-action, DreamWorks, Illumination and Focus Features titles. She has most recently worked on campaigns for such notable releases as Oppenheimer, Trolls World Tour, Nope, Minions: The Rise of Gru and Kung Fu Panda 4. Sindelar’s background as a freelance producer contributes to her ability to produce high-quality short-form content for digital and Blu-ray Disc releases. In addition to her creative endeavors at Universal, which she joined in 2021, Sindelar is a committee member of the SoCal chapter of NBCUniversal’s APA Employee Resource Group.
Johnny Holden, 39
CFO and Chief Strategy Officer
FilmRise
Promoted into his present position in April 2021, Holden has been instrumental in driving FilmRise’s growth and success. His strategic initiatives include refining FilmRise’s data-driven analytics processes that guide the acquisition of high-demand content as well as the robust release of FilmRise content on dozens of streaming platforms and more than 400 FilmRise-syndicated FAST channels worldwide. Under Holden’s leadership, FilmRise has become a leading syndicator of FAST channels and provider of content to AVOD platforms. With extensive experience from previous roles at media companies, including CFO of Vice TV, Holden’s financial, analytical and strategic acumen has significantly expanded the company’s market presence and operational efficiency.
Aline Hovanky, 39
Brand Manager, Marketing
Paramount Home Entertainment
Hovanky develops global brand plans and manages domestic campaigns for more than 40 films annually, including Republic Pictures’ diverse slate. Her adaptive leadership is invaluable in helping Paramount explore creative new-release strategies that connect each film with its target audience, with a holistic perspective toward every stage of a film’s lifecycle. Driven by a passion to amplify impactful stories and ideas, she is deeply committed to being an ally to underrepresented and emerging talent. Prior to joining Paramount in November 2021, she spent more than six years at Lionsgate, where she gained valuable experience in exhibitor relations and theatrical distribution.
Mark Cohen, 35
Director Financial Planning and Analysis, Business Decision Support
Paramount Home Entertainment
With more than a decade at Paramount, Cohen is a key leader within the FP&A team. He directly oversees theatrical new releases and Paramount television, which includes MTV Entertainment, Nickelodeon and the BET Group. Building and presenting P&L scenario analysis and providing other forward-looking business support to leadership, Cohen plays a critical role in driving success. He has been instrumental in evaluating windowing and strategy, which has allowed Paramount to remain agile and thrive in an evolving landscape. Cohen joined Paramount in 2013 as an analyst and was promoted into his present position in May 2022.
Oleg Ozoling, 36
Director, Digital Distribution
Paramount Home Entertainment
Based in the United Kingdom, Ozoling manages the digital transactional business in the U.K., Poland and CIS markets. He has led the way on strategic partnerships with key customers, closely collaborated on industry projects, and launched PVOD and other innovative new products in select markets, all with a focus on sustainable TVOD customer base and revenue growth. Prior to joining Paramount in 2020, Ozoling spent a year as director of international account management for NBC Universal, serving as the account management lead for all local and regional digital retailers within the U.K., Ireland and Israel. Earlier, he held increasingly responsible positions at Sky, Vodafone and blinkbox.
Harry Lacheen, 35
Director, Film
Netflix
As a director on the Original Film team, Lacheen is focused on young adult, faith-based and holiday movies. He helped launch Netflix’s early Christmas film slate (which includes The Princess Switch with Vanessa Hudgens), establishing Netflix as the perennial home of holiday movies and creating The Netflix Christmas Cinematic Universe. Lacheen also oversaw such films as the GLAAD-nominated Single All the Way, Charles Shyer’s directorial return with The Noel Diary, and the upcoming Lindsay Lohan starrer Our Little Secret. Lacheen joined Netflix in 2015 following a brief career on Wall Street, working in investment banking and later for Strauss Zelnick’s media-focused private equity fund ZMC.
Sahar Vahedi, 32
Director, Drama Series
Netflix
Named a director of Netflix’s Drama Development team in September 2022, Vahedi is a creative executive on the upcoming series “Ransom Canyon” and has worked on a variety of projects including “The Night Agent,” “The Diplomat” and “My Life With the Walter Boys.” Prior to joining Netflix, Vahedi developed both international and domestic series at Endemol Shine Studios, including “Kingdom” and “I’m Dying Up Here.” Earlier, while at Blumhouse TV Studios, she expanded her remit beyond scripted TV to unscripted series and documentary films, including “The Loudest Voice” and “No One Saw a Thing,” as well as spearheading a slate of 24 features for streaming with Blumhouse’s “Into the Dark.”
Kim Wendt, 30
Senior Solutions Architect
Amazon Web Services
Wendt is responsible for helping global media and entertainment companies on their journey to the cloud. She also leads the engagement between AWS and Motion Picture Laboratories Inc. to drive the industry toward the MovieLabs 2030 Vision, a 10-year vision for the future of media production, post and creative technologies published in 2019. Wendt also participates in the Amazon Future Engineer Class Chats program to encourage future generations to pursue careers in STEM and mentors early career talent Amazonians. Wendt joined Amazon in 2019 as solutions architect and was promoted into her present position in July 2022. Prior to joining Amazon, she was a software engineer with Naval Surface
Warfare.
Jacob Arias, 38
Senior Partner Marketing Manager
Microsoft Corp.
Arias is a creative marketer who joined Microsoft in 2020 to lead partner marketing for the Microsoft Movies & TV service and head co-marketing for the tech giant’s entertainment app. He has released innovative transmedia experiences across film and gaming, including a Top Gun: Maverick and Microsoft Flight Sim integration that brought exposure to both the movie and the game by providing incremental consumer value. Arias works closely with the marketing teams from the major studios and app partners to deliver unique and effective marketing programs. Initially an architect, Arias later launched an apparel line and built 7-Eleven’s social app marketing before joining Microsoft.
Loretta Richardson, 32
E-Commerce Marketing Manager
Microsoft Movies & TV
Richardson’s swift rise from MBA marketing communications intern to e-commerce marketing manager at Microsoft Movies & TV is a testament to her vision and creativity, colleagues say. Specializing in consumer insights and data-driven solutions, Richardson in her current role is charged with leading and developing engaging consumer-centric offers and innovative transmedia programs that bridge movies and games, as well as anime-specific events that channel customers into the Microsoft Movies & TV service. She joined Microsoft full-time in 2020, a year after completing a summer internship while pursuing her MBA at Georgetown University.
April Cozart, 38
Director, Digital Transactional Customer Experience
Sony Pictures Entertainment
Cozart leads retail strategy for digital retailer activations for all Sony Pictures films in the transactional window. Collaborating with cross-functional teams as well as customers, she drives consumer transactions for movies to watch at home. She oversaw recent releases Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, The Equalizer 3, No Hard Feelings, Anyone But You and Spider-Man: No Way Home, managing campaigns across premium and traditional windows, and currently oversees Columbia Pictures’ 100th Anniversary catalog celebrations. Cozart began her career at Sony Pictures during the pandemic, executing new-release and catalog campaigns from home. Prior to joining Sony, she held brand marketing roles in the fashion industry.
Rachel Klein, 29
Senior Manager, Digital Distribution
Sony Pictures Entertainment
Klein oversees the digital distribution of film and television content to digital retailers, including Amazon and Google. She is charged with driving profitability by developing and leading strategic sales, national negotiations and product placement with digital retailers, and also spearheads Sony Pictures’ national television strategy. Before joining Sony Pictures in 2022, Klein spent nearly four years at Lionsgate, most recently as manager of global digital sales and distribution, a position in which she led the strategy for promotional opportunities and pricing for all catalog film and TV content, across all digital accounts.
Sarah Henschel, 28
Principal Analyst, Media and Entertainment
Omdia
As principal analyst with Omdia’s media and entertainment team, Henschel’s specialty is coverage of online video trends in North America, with a specific interest in over-the-top and subscription streaming strategies, transactional home entertainment, and AVOD/FAST research. She specializes in tracking, modeling, and forecasting the ever-changing home entertainment and direct-to-consumer landscape. Henschel is often quoted in the media and is a frequent speaker at industry events. Henschel joined Omdia when it was formed in 2021 after two years as an analyst with IHS, which was rolled into the new company. Before joining IHS, she worked as an associate at NBCUniversal as part of its digital distribution team.
Alex Salazar, 34
Director, Content Operations
Pluto TV
Salazar joined Pluto TV back in 2018 when it was still a startup, long before its acquisition by Paramount Global. His ability to streamline workflows and collaborate internally has enabled Pluto’s growth into an international company with thousands of employees. Starting as an entry-level coordinator, Salazar now leads a team of 30 as director in the content operations department. He has continued to help scale the company’s content library, emphasizing quality and compliance. He and his team have successfully onboarded 150-plus partners, including major entities such as The Walt Disney Co., Warner Bros. Discovery, AMC, the NFL and the BBC.
Blake Mott, 35 & Dillon Siler, 32
SVP, Domestic TV and Digital Distribution
&
VP, Domestic TV and Digital Distribution
Lionsgate
Mott manages domestic sales for Lionsgate’s film and television library of more than 20,000 titles across pay-TV, basic cable, SVOD and AVOD. He also handles distribution and carriage deals for Lionsgate’s robust portfolio of FAST channels, including MovieSphere, and has played a key role on the team that has nearly doubled the distribution of Lionsgate’s FAST channels. Most recently, Mott led negotiations for multi-title movie packages with Paramount, Peacock, AMC, Max and Tubi. Mott began his career in affiliate sales at Sony before joining Lionsgate nearly a decade ago. Siler has played a significant role in the creation and expansion of Lionsgate’s AVOD business since he joined the company in 2015. He leads key relationships with key AVOD/SVOD buyers and has negotiated the channel carriage of numerous FAST channels across 13 major AVOD/FAST partners. Siler and his team have also licensed major series to top streaming services, including “The Chosen” to Amazon, “The Conners” to Netflix and “Schitt’s Creek” to Hulu.
Ariane Wu, 37 & Elizabeth Franco, 35
Director, Documentary Film
&
Manager, Documentary Series
Netflix
Wu joined the Original Documentary Film team at Netflix in May 2018 and has since overseen a variety of popular and acclaimed films, including The Greatest Night in Pop, Tinder Swindler, the Oscar-nominated Crip Camp, and Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa. Prior to joining Netflix, Wu spent five years as a producer at The Center for Investigative Reporting following a Fulbright Fellowship through the U.S. Department of State in Beijing. Franco joined Netflix in 2021 and has worked on a wide range of projects including “Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult”; “Simone Biles Rising”; “Last Chance U: Basketball”; “Ladies First: A Story of Women in Hip Hop”; “Hitler and the Nazis: Evil on Trial”; and more. She began her career in the TV Business Affairs department at WME before pivoting to TV development at Vox Media Studios and then transitioned to the buyer side at CNN Original Series.
Jeff Williams, 31 & Shaalini Sellvaratnam, 34
Senior Digital Marketing Manager
&
Senior Digital Marketing Manager
Sony Pictures Entertainment
Williams leads strategy for digital creative, social and influencer activations for transactional releases. He played an instrumental role in the Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse campaign, which included a viral shoe sweepstakes and a fan activation with a UGC program on Spider-Man Day. For Columbia Pictures’ 100th birthday, Williams produced the My Life as a Movie filter, which generated more than 100,000 videos and became the top-performing filter on Sony Pictures’ TikTok account. Sellvaratnam is a creative and strategic leader for the international television distribution business. She expanded and elevated content to support sales and drive consumer awareness in pre-sales, launch and post-sales windows. Sellvaratnam has standardized and elevated Sony Pictures’ social toolkits and B2B LinkedIn assets for TV productions. With influencer activations, she developed detailed frameworks that guide territories on local activations, and launched the studio’s first creators activation at LA Screenings 2024. She played a pivotal role in launching the Dope Girls trailer and promoting it via email marketing, Web and owned/partner channels.
Francesca Pezzoli, 39 & Malu Mayhew-Sanders, 28
VP, Marketing
&
Senior Marketing Manager
Looper Insights
Pezzoli oversees marketing at London-based Looper Insights, a leading SaaS platform for VOD merchandising and compliance analytics that works with top Hollywood studios, streamers, local broadcasters and entertainment platforms. Pezzoli is charged with developing and executing marketing and communications strategies, with a focus on enhancing brand visibility, driving lead generation, and fostering customer engagement. Pezzoli has more than 15 years of experience in growing SaaS start-ups from Series A to IPO. She was promoted into her present position in August 2023. Mayhew-Sanders became one of the first hires at Looper Insights five years ago following her internship at Warner Bros. U.K. She joined the company as a sales and marketing executive and was elevated into her present position in March 2021. Mayhew-Sanders has since played a pivotal role in enhancing the company’s market presence and customer engagement.