Thunderbird Entertainment Group Inc (TSX-V:TBRD, OTCQX:THBRF) announced it has appointed Jérôme Levy to its board of directors as the newest independent member, effective January 13, 2022.
The company said the appointment of Levy furthers the strategic alignment of its board and management team to become the next major global studio under the guidance of seasoned media and industry experts.
"He offers a tremendous wealth of media and entertainment industry operating, investment banking and capital markets knowledge, which will enhance our board as we collectively support Thunderbird’s execution of the company’s long-term growth plan,” interim board chair Marni Wieshofer said in a statement. "I had the privilege of partnering with Jérôme at MESA and Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) and I am thrilled to be working with him again.”
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Thunderbird noted that Levy was recently vice chairman of Archie Comics Publications, the company behind the comic book series of the same name as well as Netflix television series Riverdale and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.
At Archie, he oversaw aspects of TV and film production, publishing, digital, international expansion, licensing and merchandising. He also negotiated production and licensing deals with Warner Brothers, Netflix and Spotify among others.
Before joining Archie, Levy was a managing director of Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI)’s Technology, Media & Telecom Group. He joined Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) after it acquired MESA, a boutique advisory firm specializing in digital and traditional media transactions, where he was a co-founder and managing partner. There, he spearheaded an array of investment banking, strategy and capital raising engagements for companies throughout the entertainment space including Endemol, Banijay and Tinopolis.
Before co-founding MESA, Levy worked in business development at Canal Plus, a division of Vivendi Universal, responsible for managing acquisitions in the fields of video, music publishing and production. He began his career at Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) International in London, where he worked on privatizations and M&A transactions. Levy holds a BA from Northwestern University and an MBA from The Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.
“Our teams are focused on producing quality programming and global brands while investing in owned-IP and exploring strategic M&A opportunities,” Thunderbird CEO and director Jennifer Twiner McCarron said. “We welcome Jérôme to the team and look forward to his valuable contributions to our board and company.”
Thunderbird said that its diverse and gender-balanced board is comprised of five independent directors as well as the company’s CEO. With 120+ years of combined industry-specific experience, the five board members have significant industry pedigree, and all directors are recognized as leaders within their respective fields, the company added.
Thunderbird Entertainment Group is building global entertainment brands for the world’s biggest broadcasters and streaming giants.
The Vancouver-based global multi-platform entertainment company produces award-winning scripted, unscripted and animated programming for the world’s leading digital platforms, as well as for Canadian and international broadcasters such as Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney.
Contact the author at stephen.gunnion@proactiveinvestors.com