Resourcing and talent management

In a shocking development, it saddens me to report that Brad Grey has died at age 59. His death, from cancer, comes months after his exit as chairman/CEO of Paramount Pictures , a job he held for 12 years. He died last night in Holmby Hills, CA, with friends and family at his side. Grey is survived by his wife, Cassandra Grey, their son Jules, his three grown children Sam, Max and Emily from his marriage to Jill (nee Gutterson) Grey, his mother Barbara Schumsky, his brother Michael Grey and his sister Robin Grey. The family said that there will be a small private funeral service later this week. A memorial service will be scheduled in the coming weeks. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Lawrence J. Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine of USC. Grey was integral in raising money for alternative life-saving cancer research at USC’s Westside Cancer Center: In one night, they collected $4.5M at the Rebels with a Cause event when Oracle founder … [Read more...] about Brad Grey Dies At Age 59 From Cancer

Weeks after he left Sony Pictures and his longtime post as head of business affairs, Andrew Gumpert has joined Paramount Pictures as chief operating officer. The appointment was made by Paramount chairman and CEO Brad Grey . At the same time, longtime COO Frederick Huntsberry is leaving Paramount after a decade there. Gumpert will start in January. According to the studio, Gumpert will lead business affairs as well as home entertainment and television transactional distribution, and be responsible for the studio’s primary operating functions including strategic planning, business development, legal and labor relations, human resources, studio operations and parks and resorts. In a recent interview with Deadline , Grey noted a couple of criticisms of the studio that were heard around town. One was that it is incredibly hard to make a deal with business affairs at Paramount. Gumpert, who clashed with Sony chief Tom Rothman, nonetheless was considered a beloved figure around … [Read more...] about Paramount Hires Andrew Gumpert As COO

Sarah Wayne Callies , James Saito , Tim Chiou , Freda Foh Shen and Felisha Terrell are set as leads in ABC drama pilot The Company You Keep , starring Milo Ventimiglia and Catherine Haena Kim, from 20th Television. The project, which is based on Korean format My Fellow Citizens that ran for more than 30 episodes on KBS2, follows con man Charlie (Ventimiglia) and undercover CIA officer Emma (Kim). A night of passion leads to love between the pair, who unknowingly are on a collision course professionally. While Charlie ramps up the “family business” so he can get out for good, Emma’s closing in on the vengeful criminal who holds Charlie’s family debts in-hand — forcing them to reckon with the lies they’ve told so they can save themselves and their families from disastrous consequences. William Fichtner also stars. Callies will play Birdie, Charlie’s bossy big-sister and co-owner of the bar they run together, which also serves as a front to their illegitimate … [Read more...] about Sarah Wayne Callies, James Saito, Tim Chiou Among Cast In ‘The Company You Keep’ ABC Drama Pilot