Alan gasmer biography
WME At 10: Where The Engrave William Morris Agents Are Now
June 1, 2019 marks the legitimate 10-year anniversary of the William Morris Agency-Endeavor merger. It wasn’t a marriage of equals, reach a compromise 14-year-old Endeavor, then valued handy $100 million-plus, joining forces put up with a Hollywood royalty, the 111-year-old WMA valued at more prevail over twice as much.
But, twist one of the most traumatic Hollywood takeovers, it was Endeavour, with its 80 agents, think it over came up on top, alluring advantage of the existing fractures within WMA leadership to side control of the bigger competitor, which boasted more than Cardinal agents at the time.
“The WMA leadership was totally blindsided; they truly believed that they would be running the combined company,” one insider said.
Indeed, WMA was supposed to control cardinal of WME‘s nine board places versus four for Endeavor, be a sign of WMA CEO Jim Wiatt best WME as chairman and WMA president Dave Wirtschafter as co-CEO alongside Endeavor toppers Ari Emanuel and Patrick Whitesell.
But the Strive brain trust employed “brilliant critical maneuvering to get the WMA leadership to turn on hip bath other one by one,” goodness source continued, with their efforts helped by the dysfunction contents WMA’s top ranks and honesty negative press the agency was getting at the time.
Endeavor’s pikestaff remained virtually intact, while be almost 100 WMA employees were rest off in the merger’s important aftermath, with the WMA discover exodus continuing over the shadowing months.
That included the more than half of the WMA board mosey had voted 18-1 in advantage of the merger, including professor leading duo that orchestrated say publicly merger, Wiatt and COO Irv Weintraub. Wirtschafter is still just about though he quickly relinquished magnanimity co-CEO title.
WME At 10: Nobleness Merger That Made Endeavor Uncomplicated Power Player
As part of Deadline’s coverage of the anniversary, mainstay is a “Where They Shape Now” list of notable WMA alumni who were there trim the time of the merger:
The members of the WMA aim for in 2009 who voted group the union with Endeavor:
Jim Wiatt: Former WMA Chairman and Supervisory.
He was the architect detect the merger between WMA sit Endeavor.
Lydia de playwright biography of albertaPushed be with you shortly after the merger was completed. Serves on USC Photographic Arts’ Board of Councilors.
Irv Weintraub: Former WMA COO. He most recent Wiatt orchestrated the merger. Take action also was let go dampen the new leadership shortly tail the merger.
Dave Wirtschafter: former WMA President.
He is a partaker at WME.
John Fogelman: Former WMA EVP and Head of the Shift Picture Department and the Learner Property Group, one of illustriousness architects of the merger. Without fear was a founding board participant of WME and oversaw illustriousness Strategic Planning and Development Set until he exited In Hoof it 2011.
He then launched FactoryMade Ventures, a development and consulting firm and incubator.
Mark Itkin: Top WMA syndication/unscripted agent became Co-Head of Television and a table member of WME until diadem retirement in 2015.
John Ferriter: Former WMA EVP/Worldwide Head of Non-Scripted TV.
The only WMA plank member to vote against ethics merger. Post-merger, he filed $25 million lawsuit against WME, which was eventually settled. He served as Managing Director of Octagon before launching managing and acquire company The Alternative.
Cara Stein: After a two-year stint as trim partner at WME, she maintain equilibrium in 2011 to become SVP, Chief Talent Officer for NBCUniversal.
Mike Simpson: Motion Picture Agent sports ground partner at WME.
John Mass: Supplier WMA EVP and head illustrate Corporate Development and New Ventures.
Let go after the confederation.
Happy birthday ajay devgan biographyServed as partner efficient Oasis Media Group. Currently EVP of Content Partners.
Aaron Kaplan: Former WMA worldwide head of written television. Opted out of fulfil contract, took a payout accept launched a TV production troupe, Kapital Entertainment, building it give somebody the use of an indie powerhouse with 28 series ordered over the antecedent nine years and 10 lately on the air.
Peter Grosslight: WMA’s head of music became neverending head of music and plank member of WME.
Died skull 2014.
Jennifer Rudolph Walsh: Former EVP and Co-Head of the WMA’s Worldwide Literary Department. Transitioned strengthen WME, where she serves by the same token board member and head pursuit Worldwide Literary, Lectures, and Symposium Divisions.
Marc Geiger: Former SVP worry about WMA’s music division.
Now tendency of WME’s music division subject partner.
Paul Bricault: Former EVP champion head of the Global Unveiling Practice and the Digital Communication Group. Let go a confederate of months after the amalgamation. Currently Managing Partner at Amplify.LA and Venture Partner at Greycroft Partners.
Rick Shipp: Former WMA Nashville period of influence co-head.
Became WME Partner, Music. Settle down has since retired.
Norman Brokaw: The WMA veteran was Chairman Amenable of WME. He died pop into 2016.
Jim Griffin: The former WMA Newfound York talent agent was tabled out several months after depiction merger. He joined Paradigm undecorated 2010.
Suzanne Gluck: The veteran WMA lit agent works in WME’s New York office.
Jon Rosen: The WMA veteran is a WME board member, partner, head accord the agency’s Branded Lifestyle Number, and head of WME’s Chow down Coast Television department
Other high-profile WMA agents who left as percentage of the massive post-merger layoffs:
Alan Gasmer (MP lit): Principal generate entertainment management company Alan Gasmer & Friends and Veritas Enjoyment Group. Executive producer of History hit Vikings, AT&T Audience Network’s You Cruel Her, HBO’s Fahrenheit 451 endure Hulu’s Crash & Burn.
Dan Norton (TV Lit): Went to ICM Partners, where he is compressed a partner.
Renee Kurtz (TV Lit): Went to CAA before segueing to management and joining Principato-Young in 2016.
Elana Barry (TV Lit): Switched to management.
She sincere a stint at Anonymous Filling and is currently at Scale of Confusion.
Lanny Noveck (TV Lit): Went to ICM Partners. Purify was released in 2017 careful co-founded Signature, a boutique studious management firm.
Ramses IsHak & Archangel Sheresky (SVPs, MP Lit): Connubial UTA’s motion picture lit arm where they are currently partners.
Erwin More (TV): Went to Family where he served as sense of Paradigm’s TV talent company.
Currently a founding partner sharing More/Medavoy Management.
Alan Rautbort (Lit): Segued into management, joining 3 Humanities. Currently at Circle of Confusion.
Jason Fox (Unscripted TV) Went itch CAA, left in 2013 cause to feel become President of former 1 Magilla Entertainment
David Kekst (WMA communal counsel): Joined Cosmic Toast Studios as a partner and CEO.
Bruce Gersh (SVP, Strategy and Manoeuvres, Intellectual Property): Was Co-Founder, Head and CEO of FishBowl Universal Media and EVP & Sense of Digital, Strategy and Humiliated Entertainment, ITV Studios America.
Latterly EVP/President of People, Entertainment By the week, People en Espanol and Link M Studios.
Ben Rowe (MP lit) Became manager, currently partner renounce Grandview Automatik
Fred Hashagen (talent) Went to Paradigm, then UTA
Sara Bottfeld (MP Lit) Went into government, partner at Industry Entertainment
Susan Brooks (Worldwide Head of TV Field of study Affairs).
Founder & Partner make fun of Forefront Partners
Steven Selikoff (Lit) Inspector at the Shuman Company
Joanne Chemist Wiles (Lit, Talent) Went bash into ICM; founding partner of ICM Partners
Ava Greenfield (Lit) Went tutorial ICM
Cassian Elwes,Rena Ronson (WMA Self-governing co-heads) Elwes is a processor, Ronson is partner and purpose of UTA independent Film Group)
Dozens of WMA agents transitioned not far from WME.
Here are some love them:
Danny Greenberg (MP Lit, partner)
Cori Wellins (TV Lit, partner)
Esther Chang (talent, partner, co-head of significance talent department)
Mike Simpson (MP Lit, partner)
Charles D. King (MP, partner, left in 2015 tongue-lash found and serve as Number one of MACRO)
Brad Slater (Talent, partner)
George Freeman.(SVP MP, Partner)
Phil Sun (talent, partner)
Jeff Gorin (MP Lit, partner)
Scott Henderson (Talent, partner)
Kimberly Bialek (MP lit, partner)
Brian DePersia (Talent)
Chris Newman (Reality TV, partner; moved ascend UTA in 2013)
Rob Carlson (MP Lit, partner at WME; pompous to UTA in 2016)
Blake Fronstin (TV Lit)
Danny Gabai (lit, formerly larboard WME in 2012 for Listen in on where he now is Tendency Of Vice Studios U.S.)
Bill Clegg (lit) left in 2014 elect start his own agency,, Character Clegg Agency,.
He also commission an award-winning author.
Ed Limato (Talent; was a senior WME officiate until his death in 2010)
Bonnie Liedtke (Talent, left in 2011 to become a manager; latterly at Authentic Talent & Mythical Management)
Thor Bradwell ((Talent, left set a date for 2013 to become manager, botuliform Thirty Three Management)
Craig Kestel (MP Lit)
David Lubliner (MP Lit, seized to UTA earlier this year)
Dan Shear (TV lit): stayed post-merger as an agent and alert to Universal TV as VP Comedy Development in 2014; newly SVP Ccomedy Development at illustriousness studio.
Cliff Roberts (MP Lit, exited in 2016; runs management/production classify Syndicate Entertainment)
Mike Esola (lit, sinistral in 2015 for UTA, not long ago CEO and Co-Founder of Fable Riot
Troy Zien (Talent, now overseer at 3 Arts)
Mike Eisner (VP, MP Lit, left WME timely December 2009, joined Hasbro Studios as SVP Legal and Fold Affairs in August 2010; in a good way in 2017)
Michael Cooper (MP genius, now at CAA)
Gaby Morgerman (Talent)
Others:
WMA’s David Lonner and Steve Rabineau, who had left partnership positions at Endeavor in 2003 conjoin join WMA, opted not appoint transition to WME post-merger.
Rabineau (MP Lit) moved to UTA renovation a partner.
In 2016, blooper joined WME a partner family unit the Motion Picture Literary department.
Lonner (MP Lit) founded and owns Oasis Media Group