WME talent agency promotes Ari Greenburg to president
WME has promoted Ari Greenburg to the newly created position of president, putting him in charge of the Endeavor-owned talent agency’s daily operations across its Beverly Hills, New York, Nashville, London and Sydney offices.
Greenburg will report to Endeavor President Mark Shapiro, who was recently elevated from his position as chief content officer at IMG.
Greenburg is a 23-year veteran of WME and has spent two decades as a television packaging agent, spearheading high-profile deals for clients such as Amblin Partners, Greg Berlanti, Dan Fogelman and Michael Green.
“Over the past few years, Ari has taken on a host of new responsibilities and played an integral role in shaping the vision for the future of the agency,” said Shapiro in a statement Thursday.
“He is a dealmaker without peer, cares deeply about his colleagues, and knows the industry inside and out…. As we move into this next chapter, Ari is uniquely positioned to bring WME to new heights. He comes from television, but his curiosity and commitment to our leading role in the entertainment industry are extraordinary.”
Greenburg has helped package many of WME’s biggest series, including “This Is Us,” “Westworld,” “Sharp Objects” and “Jack Ryan.”
Packaging is a lucrative business for the major Hollywood talent agencies, allowing them to bring together their clients on a single project and to realize revenue through packaging fees.
But some TV writers have criticized the practice, saying that agencies can make more money on a show than its creators.
The Writers Guild of America estimates that 87% of all TV shows are packaged by talent agencies.
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