New Top Brass at William Morris Agency

In a major executive shuffle, the William Morris Agency has named two top officers to new posts just as a senior motion picture agent was joining four others in leaving the agency.

Jerry Katzman, 53, a senior television agent, was named president, while Norman Brokaw, 63, was appointed chairman and chief executive. Brokaw previously had been president and chief executive.

The move followed the departure Tuesday of movie agent John Ptak, a Morris vice president. Ptak transferred to the rival Creative Artists Agency, bringing to five the number of Morris motion picture agents who have recently moved on to other companies.

It wasn’t immediately clear if his clients would follow him. But the defections are seen as a major blow to the agency’s motion picture division, which is supposed to be rebuilding under department heads Mike Simpson and John Burnham.

Some perceived the promotion of Katzman as an effort to strengthen upper management at the Morris agency, which has a reputation for stodginess even though it remains among Hollywood’s most profitable. In a prepared statement, the company said the new appointments were the result of “months of planning” and a commitment to build from within.

As part of the reorganization, the company also announced that Lou Weiss has been named chairman emeritus while retaining control of New York operations.

Katzman is an established television agent whose accomplishments include the packaging of “The Cosby Show,” the enormously successful NBC television comedy. Morris has reportedly realized about $50 million from its 10% share of the syndication revenues from “Cosby.”

Brokaw, whose clients once included Marilyn Monroe, belongs to Hollywood’s older guard of talent agents and represents a number of political figures, including former President Gerald R. Ford.

Ptak, 48, whose clients include directors Peter Weir and Costa Gravas, is known as one of Hollywood’s most aggressive and resourceful agents. At Morris, his specialties included foreign financing packages.

Ptak could not be reached for comment, and his colleagues at Morris declined to discuss the reasons for his departure.

“A number of us have known and respected John for many years,” Creative Artists Agency Chairman Michael Ovitz and President Ron Meyer said in a prepared statement. “We feel his style and approach are very compatible with the way we do business, and he will be a valuable addition to the agency.”

Four other Morris agents transferred to International Creative Management, another top talent agency, last week. They are Toni Howard, Risa Shapiro, Elaine Goldsmith and Boaty Boatwright. Their clients include actresses Julia Roberts, Anjelica Huston and Joanne Woodward.