Fernando Szew and Michael Thorn Elevated to New Senior Leadership Roles, as Head of FOX Entertainment Studios and President, FOX Television Network, Respectively
Allison Wallach Expands Purview to Oversee Global Unscripted Programming for FOX Entertainment Studios
Los Angeles, CA, March 27, 2024 – FOX Entertainment CEO Rob Wade today announced a new structure that will shape the company’s creative and business operations as it sets to deliver on global growth strategies across its three key pillars of studio entertainment, television and streaming platforms, and worldwide sales and licensing.
The new FOX Entertainment will consist of three primary business segments, including FOX Entertainment Studios, the FOX Television Network and FOX Entertainment Global. Elevated to new senior leadership roles within this structure are Fernando Szew, who has been named Head of FOX Entertainment Studios and Michael Thorn, President of the FOX Television Network, both reporting directly to Wade.
Regarding the announcement, Wade added, “Under this new structure, every division of FOX Entertainment is now poised for growth and creative excellence as we super-serve our audiences everywhere. Now the work begins.”
Szew – Founding Partner and CEO of MarVista Entertainment and FOX Entertainment Global — now leads FOX Entertainment Studios. Under this banner, FOX Entertainment consolidates all of its studio business engines globally, including the Emmy Award-winning animation studio Bento Box Entertainment, which produces FOX’s animated series Krapopolis, Grimsburg and Bob’s Burgers, as well as series for numerous third-party platforms, including Prime Video, Apple TV+, Hulu and Netflix, among others; FOX Alternative Entertainment (FAE), home to cultural juggernaut The Masked Singer; FOX scripted studios, creator of FOX’s first owned live-action comedy Animal Control; MarVista Entertainment, one of the most prolific made-for-platform movie producers in the world; Studio Ramsay Global, launched in partnership with Gordon Ramsay; and Harvey Levin’s entertainment studio TMZ.
In addition, Allison Wallach expands her purview over the company’s growing portfolio of FOX-owned content, joining Szew’s team as Head of Global Unscripted Programming for FOX Entertainment Studios and leading all creative and production for the division’s full scope of unscripted entertainment. This includes several new global formats owned and produced by FAE, such as Beat My Mini-Mes (TF1/France), Marriage Market (ProSieben/Germany); and Celebrity Masterpiece (Workpoint/Thailand), among others.
Thorn most recently was President, Scripted Programming for FOX Entertainment. In leading the FOX Television Network, and in close collaboration with Szew, he will manage the network’s scripted, unscripted and casting teams led by Brooke Bowman, Executive Vice President, Drama Programming and Development; Cheryl Dolins, Senior Vice President, Comedy and Animation Programming and Development; Yasmin Rawji, Executive Vice President, Unscripted; and Brittainy Roberts, Senior Vice President, Casting, respectively. He will also continue his long-standing involvement in FOX’s animated properties, remaining a member of the Bento Box Entertainment Steering Committee.
FOX Entertainment’s worldwide content sales unit FOX Entertainment Global (FEG) will be led on an interim basis by Tony Vassiliadis, Executive Vice President of FEG, reporting directly to Wade. Vassiliadis will continue to run FEG until a new leader is named, at which point he will transition into a new senior role at FOX Entertainment.
About FOX Entertainment
With a legacy spanning more than 35 years, FOX Entertainment is one of the world’s most recognizable media brands and a prolific content producer across its iconic broadcast network and both owned and third-party streaming platforms. Known for its independent, innovative spirit and provocative, groundbreaking storytelling, the company was reinvented in 2019 with the formation of FOX Entertainment. While maintaining its leadership in broadcast television (9-1-1: Lone Star, The Simpsons, The Cleaning Lady, Hell’s Kitchen, LEGO Masters), the company is actively building a portfolio of businesses and library of owned original content. To date, FOX Entertainment’s long-term growth strategy has included the acquisitions of award-winning animation studio Bento Box Entertainment (Bob’s Burgers, The Great North, Krapopolis, Grimsburg), entertainment platform TMZ, and global production studio MarVista Entertainment (The Way Home), as well as the formation of the culinary and lifestyle content venture Studio Ramsay Global (Next Level Chef, Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars) in partnership with Gordon Ramsay. The company also established its in-house unscripted studio FOX Alternative Entertainment (The Masked Singer, Snake Oil, I Can See Your Voice, Name That Tune), FOX Entertainment Studios (Animal Control) to develop scripted content, and worldwide content sales unit FOX Entertainment Global.
CONTACTS:
Jean Guerin – jean.guerin@fox.com
Les Eisner – les.eisner@fox.com