Lionsgate President Steve Beeks Signs New Long-Term Contract, Assumes Expanded Chief Operating Officer Role
Lionsgate President Steve Beeks Signs New Long-Term Contract, Assumes Expanded Chief Operating Officer Role
Move Underscores Lionsgate Senior Management Stability
SANTA MONICA, Calif. and VANCOUVER, June 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- In a move reflecting the long-term stability of its senior management team, Lionsgate (NYSE:LGF) President Steve Beeks has signed a new long-term agreement, the Company announced today. Beeks has also been named Chief Operating Officer, recognizing his expanded management oversight of the Company's operations. He continues as President of the Company.
Lionsgate Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jon Feltheimer, Vice Chairman Michael Burns and Beeks are all signed to contracts extending until 2010 and 2011. They collectively have nearly 20 years' experience at the helm of the leading independent filmed entertainment studio, marking unusual stability for the leadership of a major media and entertainment company.
"Steve's promotion and new title reflect the role he is already playing in helping me manage Lionsgate's day-to-day operations as well as leading our home entertainment, library and digital initiatives," said Lionsgate Chief Executive Officer Jon Feltheimer. "He has shown the ideal combination of strategic vision and superb tactical execution essential to our continued growth and success."
Feltheimer noted that Beeks, who was named President of Lionsgate shortly after the Company's December 2003 acquisition of Artisan Entertainment, is an example of the Company's successful strategy of culling the "best and the brightest" leadership from acquired companies as well as in-house.
"This is an exciting time to be part of Lionsgate's leadership, and I look forward to continuing to work closely with Jon, Michael and the rest of our team in growing the Company to the new levels of performance and industry leadership expected by our shareholders," said Beeks.
In addition to overseeing corporate operations, Beeks is responsible for helping to develop and execute the Company's strategy for international expansion as well as identifying corporate acquisitions, strategic ventures and other growth initiatives. Under his leadership, Lionsgate's home entertainment business has grown to a new high of nearly $530 million in annual revenues, achieved industry market share of approximately 6% and moved aggressively into digital delivery. The Company just reported record library revenues of $256 million for fiscal 2007, and Lionsgate continues to establish new alliances for leveraging its 11,000-title library and new content into the digital marketplace. Lionsgate's international business achieved its highest revenue performance in fiscal 2007. During Beeks' three-year tenure as Lionsgate President, the Company has also maintained one of the lowest overhead-to-revenue percentages in the industry.
Beeks has been an executive of Lionsgate and its predecessor companies for nearly 10 years. He was named President of Lionsgate Entertainment Inc. shortly after Lionsgate acquired Artisan, and he became President of parent company Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. in 2006. He previously served as President of Artisan Home Entertainment, which he joined in January 1998, following the purchase of the company by Bain Capital. He was responsible for all business aspects of the division, whose revenues grew from $115 million to $300 million during his tenure. As president of the division, he spearheaded the marketing, advertising, sale and distribution of Artisan's theatrical films and extensive library of feature films in the DVD and videocassette market as well as overseeing the acquisition and/or production of new programming.
Previously, Beeks started Hallmark Home Entertainment (HHE) for the Hallmark Cards Company as an independent home video distributor in October 1994, distributing filmed entertainment produced by Hallmark as well as several other independent suppliers. HHE became one of the leading independent home video distributors with exclusive relationships with The Samuel Goldwyn Company, October Films, Showtime Original Pictures and others.
From early 1986 until early 1994, he was Vice President, Business Development, for The Paragon Group, a limited partnership formed to invest in the entertainment industry, and he served as Executive Vice President and then President, Home Entertainment Group, for Republic Pictures Corporation.
ABOUT LIONSGATE
Lionsgate is the leading independent filmed entertainment studio, winning the 2006 Best Picture Academy Award (R) for CRASH, and the Company is a premier producer and distributor of motion pictures, home entertainment, family entertainment, television programming and video-on-demand content. Its prestigious and prolific library of more than 11,000 motion picture titles and television episodes is a valuable source of recurring revenue and a foundation for the growth of the Company's core businesses. The Lionsgate brand is synonymous with original, daring, quality entertainment in markets around the globe.
www.lionsgate.com * * * * *
For further information, contact:
Peter D. Wilkes
Lionsgate
310-255-3726
pwilkes@lionsgate.com
First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:
Source: Lionsgate
CONTACT: Peter D. Wilkes of Lionsgate, +1-310-255-3726,
pwilkes@lionsgate.com
Web site:
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