Chairman & CEO
Will has over thirty years of transaction financing, filmmaking, music production, strategic marketing, and senior leadership experience in private enterprise and in government. He was previously CEO of Clarius Entertainment, a film distribution company; founder and chairman of venture capital-backed technology company Dayna Communications, which was acquired by Intel; CEO of Tempus Entertainment, a joint venture with The Walt Disney Company/ABC Multimedia, and Electronic Arts; Special Assistant to the President at the White House, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State. Will is a graduate of BYU and Harvard Business School.
President
David is among the most accomplished film industry executives and has been responsible for marketing and distributing many of the most significant independent films in the past 20 years. David has released over 200 movies and helped launch the careers of numerous iconic filmmakers including Quentin Tarantino, Steven Soderbergh, Paul Greengrass, Justin Lin, Sofia Coppola, Baz Luhrmann, Jane Campion and Kevin Smith. He co-founded Paramount Classics and was one of the original architects of Fox Searchlight. He also served as the President of Lakeshore Entertainment.
President, Domestic Theatrical Distribution
Greg has an extensive background in distribution and marketing with a successful track record in independent and wide commercial releases. Previously, Greg served as President of Distribution at Relativity EuropaCorp (RED); Senior Vice President of Theatrical Distribution, overseeing the eastern region, at Overture Films; Head of Distribution at Fine Line Features and IFC Films; and Head of Theatrical Distribution and Marketing at Palm Pictures/Manga Entertainment. Earlier Greg was a Regional Promotion and Marketing Manager at I.R.S. Records, working with bands such as R.E.M. and Black Sabbath.
EVP, Publicity & Promotion
Claire has been an entertainment marketing professional for over 20 years. Prior to joining Aviron, Claire was EVP, Publicity & Promotions at Clarius Entertainment. Before Clarius, she spearheaded global publicity campaigns for brands such as Coca-Cola and General Mills while working at Rogers & Cowan and served as Vice President of Content and Community for social search internet start-up, LikeMe.net, which was acquired by Village Voice Media. Previously, Claire served on the theatrical marketing teams at Sony Pictures Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox and Universal Pictures.
EVP, Creative Marketing
Jeff is a seasoned marketing executive with 20+ years studio experience. Before Aviron, he ran the marketing and creative advertising departments for multiple studios, overseeing 100+ features, including academy campaigns for 9 Best Picture nominees and 3 winners. His campaigns include BIRDMAN, THE ARTIST, THE KING’S SPEECH, THE REVENANT, PHILOMENA, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK, DJANGO UNCHAINED, INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS, GONE GIRL, THE BUTLER, SCARY MOVIE and SPY KIDS FRANCHISES, HALLOWEEN, BAD SANTA, SIN CITY and THE OTHERS. Jeff is an NYU Film graduate and member of AMPAS.
EVP, Business Affairs
With more than three decades of experience in entertainment business and law, Lou has dealt with all aspects of motion picture and television transactions at both the studio and independent levels. He previously held the position of EVP for business affairs at Scott Free Productions and prior to that was SVP for business affairs at talent agency Triad Artists. Lou moved to Aviron after spending nearly two decades in private law practice with Loeb & Loeb. He began his career at the Manatt, Phelps law firm and Columbia Pictures. Lou is a summa cum laude graduate of Colgate University and earned a J.D. from Harvard Law School.
EVP, Acquisitions
Most recently, Jason has been a consultant and executive producer advising organizations and filmmakers on the opportunities for production, financing and distribution in the independent film marketplace, with clients including MGM Studios, Relativity Media, Millennium Entertainment, SkyItalia and Proimagenes Colombia. Previously, Jason served as Senior Vice President and General Manager, Worldwide Acquisitions for the Universal Pictures Group, where he was in charge of all acquisitions and co-productions for all of Universal's distribution platforms worldwide: Universal Pictures, Focus Features, Rogue Pictures and Universal Home Entertainment.
EVP Media Strategy & Content Distribution
Francois has been a marketing and media strategist for over 17 years. He recently left The Weinstein Company, where he served as President of Marketing Strategy overseeing media strategy, digital, promotions and operations, in addition to managing content sales for films in their the post-theatrical window. He began his career at Miramax in 2001 and has worked on a wide range of theatrical and academy campaigns including KILL BILL, CHICAGO, SPY KIDS, SCARY MOVIE, LEE DANIELS’ THE BUTLER, DJANGO UNCHAINED, PADDINGTON, INGLORIOUS BASTERDS, THE KING’S SPEECH, LION and WIND RIVER.
SVP, Research
Keely has over twenty years of research experience and has specialized in movie research for the past fifteen years. Most recently, she was President of Consumer Insights at Worldwide Motion Picture Group (formerly OTX), working with all major studios and leading entertainment companies to provide insight at all stages of film development, from assessing concepts, positioning and playability to testing the impact of marketing materials and tracking audience response. Previously, she was SVP at First Movies International, a leading research consultancy for film and television.
SVP, Finance & Accounting
With over 30-years of experience in the film, television, and public relations sectors of the entertainment industry, Judi is a well-respected corporate finance expert. Prior to joining Aviron as a senior executive, Judi headed financial operations for Clarius Entertainment and Emmy award-winning television production company View Film. She also served as chief financial officer for Picture Production Company. Earlier in her career, Judi was Vice President of Finance at Management Company Entertainment Group, where she played an integral role in the preparation of their IPO.
SVP and Co-Founder
Focused on film acquisitions, Hannah is responsible for developing and nurturing relationships with film producers and talent agencies. Prior to joining Aviron Pictures, Hannah worked at a film distribution company in business development and social advocacy. She also worked at Paradigm Talent Agency, and was an owner and general manager of a successful hospitality and event management company in Michigan. Hannah is a graduate of the University of Michigan and Harvard Business School.
Vice President, In-Theatre Marketing
With over 20 years of experience in the entertainment business, Shelly is a reputable contributor in the industry. She began at Technicolor and eventually transitioned to Deluxe Media Management as a vital part of the start-up team in the Theatrical Distribution department. Shelly helped to successfully transition the fulfillment services for Sony Pictures, Sony Classics, Universal, New Line Cinema, Focus Features, Fox, and Miramax, ultimately serving as Director of the Theatrical Distribution department. She then moved to the In-Theatre Marketing department at Relativity EuropaCorp Distribution.
Vice President, Theatrical Sales Operations
With over twenty-five years of industry experience, John has extensive and varied experience in the world of motion picture theatrical distribution. Prior to joining Aviron, he worked as Vice President, Theatrical Sales Administration at Relativity EuropaCorp Distribution, and before that worked as Vice President, Worldwide Distribution, Sony Pictures. Over his career, he has worked in various capacities on over four hundred wide releases, many of which opened to number one.
Vice President, National Publicity
Kari began her 15-year career in entertainment marketing while still in college, interning at the publicity department at Columbia Pictures. Following graduation, she returned to Columbia and worked her way up to a senior role in the group, managing national publicity campaigns across a wide variety of films. Kari also served as the Director of Media Relations & Special Events at Lollipop Theatre Network, a non-profit organization which works with film studios to screen current theatrical releases for hospitalized children nationwide.
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