VANCOUVER and SANTA MONICA, CA – Lionsgate has named veteran distribution executive Susan Hummel to the newly-created position of executive vice-president and managing director of its Canadian distribution operation.
Before joining Lionsgate, Hummel was SVP of distribution and sales for FremantleMedia International where she headed its first distribution office in Canada. She also led MGM’s Canadian office and developed and executed sales strategies for the Canadian market across all platforms, including video-on-demand, electronic sell-through, subscription-video-on-demand, pay and cable television, as well as U.S. basic cable television, plus had stints at Comedy Central, Nickelodeon and Twentieth Century Fox Studios.
Hummel will be responsible for establishing the Lionsgate's first distribution office in Toronto, which she will manage and lead. The company said that her appointment reflects the continued growth of its worldwide content platform, driven by a 16,000-title film and television library, one of the largest independent television businesses in the world and a home entertainment division that distributed six of this year's nine Best Picture Oscar nominees.
"Susan is an experienced and entrepreneurial distribution executive with deep knowledge of the Canadian television landscape who launched MGM and FremantleMedia's offices in the territory," said Lionsgate president of worldwide television & digital distribution Jim Packer, in the announcement. "She is the perfect executive to lead the charge at our new office as we continue to maximize licensing opportunities for our expanding Lionsgate and Starz film and television portfolio as well as expand our unscripted television presence in this key territory."
