TORONTO — Independent entertainment company Boat Rocker Media announced today the appointment of Ellis Jacob, president and CEO of Cineplex Inc., as an independent director to its board, effective today.
“We are thrilled to welcome Ellis to the Boat Rocker board,” said David Fortier and Ivan Schneeberg, co-executive chairmen of Boat Rocker Media and co-chairmen of Boat Rocker Studios, in a press release.
“His extensive public company, M&A, integration, and overall entertainment industry expertise will be invaluable as we execute on our growth strategy. Adding a new, independent board member ensures we have an increasingly diverse range of viewpoints and skill sets to draw on as we continue to build Boat Rocker for this next exciting phase in our evolution,” they said.
“This is an incredibly dynamic time to be in the entertainment industry,” said Jacob. “With so much change and so many new opportunities, Boat Rocker is uniquely positioned to capitalize on both. I look forward to supporting Boat Rocker as it charts its new path forward as a public company.”
Jacob’s experience in the entertainment industry spans more than three decades. He has been president and CEO of Cineplex for almost 20 years. Prior to that, he was co-founder and CEO of Galaxy and head of integration at Alliance Atlantis Communications Inc. From 1987 to 1998, Jacob held several senior financial and operational positions with Cineplex Odeon Corporation.
In addition to serving on the Cineplex board, Jacob is a director of the board of ASM Global and he was previously a director and member of the audit and risk committee of Rogers Communication Inc. In addition, he was a director and member of the audit committee of the Toronto International Film Festival for 17 years. He currently sits on the board of numerous industry associations and charities.
Jacob was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada in 2010 and a Member of the Order of Ontario in 2020.
As part of its broader strategy to expand its IP slate, Boat Rocker has recently signed a number of first-look deals, including with Dakota Johnson, Ro Donnelly and Katie O’Connell Marsh’s TeaTime Pictures, Lena Headey’s Peephole Productions, Dr. Ibram X. Kendi’s Maroon Visions, Stephanie Langhoff’s High Tide Productions, and Shamier Anderson and Stephan James’ Bay Mills Studios.
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