Kim Kelleher Elevated to Lead Consolidated Team for All Commercial Revenue
Josh Reader, President of Distribution and Development, Will Depart Company to Found New Venture
NEW YORK, NY, September 8, 2022 – AMC Networks today announced it is strategically realigning its commercial revenue and distribution functions under centralized leadership. The integrated team will be led by Kim Kelleher, AMC Networks’ President of Commercial Revenue and Partnerships, and will be responsible for all advertising and distribution revenue. Josh Reader, who joined AMC Networks in 2011 and has served as President of Distribution and Development since late 2019, recently shared with the company that he is leaving to found and run a new venture in the content creation and blockchain space. He will remain with AMC Networks through early next year.
In this expanded role, Kelleher will become the company’s Chief Commercial Officer and will report to Chief Executive Officer Christina Spade. In leading the centralized team, three additional senior executives will now report to Kelleher – Roy Cho, who has been promoted to Executive Vice President of Distribution; Mike Pears, Executive Vice President of Distribution and Content Sales; and Amy Leasca, Senior Vice President of Partner Management. Barbara Kalosieh, Senior Vice President of Distribution, will report to Cho as a key leader for the distribution team.
“A cohesive, forward-looking commercial revenue team that has responsibility for all of our valuable partner relationships across advertisers, affiliates and new digital platforms makes strong strategic sense and Kim is the perfect executive to lead it,” Spade said. “She has brought her own unique talent, ingenuity and dynamic leadership to our commercial revenue group. We are thrilled to apply her abilities to an even more comprehensive role to drive the company’s top-line growth. Josh Reader is a valued colleague who has made a significant contribution to our success and positioned us well for the future. We are grateful for his leadership and we wish him great success in his new venture.”
Reader said: “My time at AMC Networks has been the highlight of my career to date. I am forever grateful for the experiences I have had here and the friends and colleagues I have made, both within and outside the office. I am excited to build a new company that connects video creators and fans through blockchain technology, but I will certainly miss working with everyone here. I will always be a fan of AMC Networks’ content and people, and I’ll be cheering loudly from the sidelines for Chris, Kim and the entire company.”
Kelleher said: “I am emboldened by the opportunity to take on additional management responsibilities that help drive our business and move into a role that encompasses the entire portfolio of our premium distribution offerings and commercial relationships. This fully integrated team will connect and leverage all of AMC Networks’ assets – our high-quality original programming, our loyal audiences and our strong subscriber services and brands – for our mutual benefit and value creation.”
Reader joined AMC Networks in 2011 as Director of Business Development & Advanced Platforms. He was promoted to Vice President of Distribution in 2013 and Senior Vice President of Distribution and Content Partnerships in 2017 before moving into his current role in late 2019. Prior to joining AMC Networks, he practiced as an attorney at the law firm of Debevoise & Plimpton LLP.
Kelleher joined the company in 2019 as President of Commercial Revenue and Partnerships, having most recently served as Chief Brand Officer at Condé Nast. Kelleher’s career in media, marketing, and advertising spans more than two decades. Prior to becoming chief brand officer at Condé Nast, she was the Chief Business Officer of GQ, GQ Style, Golf Digest, Golf World, Pitchfork, and Wired Media Group, which includes Wired and Ars Technica. Before that, she was President of SAY Media and Global Publisher of Time. Since arriving at AMC Networks, she has brought dynamic leadership to the commercial revenue team and has led the company to leadership positions in advanced advertising, including addressable, and award-winning content partnerships that leverage the company’s programming for the benefit of an expanding array of advertising partners. As part of her current role, Kelleher also oversees the company’s Digital Operations team, integrated marketing and franchise development including gaming, licensing and merchandising, publishing and eCommerce.
About AMC Networks
AMC Networks (Nasdaq: AMCX) is a global entertainment company known for its popular and critically acclaimed content. Its brands include targeted streaming services AMC+, Acorn TV, Shudder, Sundance Now, ALLBLK and the anime-focused HIDIVE streaming service, in addition to AMC, BBC AMERICA (operated through a joint venture with BBC Studios), IFC, SundanceTV, WE tv, IFC Films and RLJE Films. AMC Studios, the Company’s in-house studio, production and distribution operation, is behind some of the biggest titles and brands known to a global audience, including The Walking Dead, the Anne Rice catalog and the Agatha Christie library. The Company also operates AMC Networks International, its international programming business, and 25/7 Media, its production services business.
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