Katz Assumes Top Marketing Post at UniversalAfter...

Katz Assumes Top Marketing Post at Universal

After eight months, Universal Pictures has filled its top marketing position, elevating insider Perry Katz to the job.

Katz, 42, has been filling in as interim co-head of marketing along with David Sameth, who will return to his prior job as a production executive at the studio.

Katz’s new title will be executive vice president of marketing.

Both Katz and Sameth were abruptly tapped to take charge of the marketing when Simon Kornblit suddenly resigned in April after his contract talks broke down. “It was a real crisis situation,” said Tom Pollock, chairman of the motion picture group for MCA, Universal’s parent.

Pollock credited Katz and Sameth with orchestrating the marketing for Steven Spielberg’s “Jurassic Park,” which is now the all-time top grossing film worldwide, as well as for Universal’s holiday films, such as Spielberg’s critically acclaimed “Schindler’s List.”

Katz joined Universal in 1987 as vice president of research and was promoted in 1989 to senior vice president of marketing. Katz also has worked at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Columbia Pictures.

Showtime Networks hired ABC production executive Jerry Offsay to start as president of programming in January.

Offsay was executive vice president of ABC Productions. He has been president of RKO Pictures and involved in the production of such films as “Eight Men Out” and “Hamburger Hill.”

After 30 years of work for Atlantic Records, veteran music producer and executive Arif Mardin has been elevated to a senior officer post with the Time Warner unit.

Arif Mardin

Mardin will serve as a senior vice president. The label said that Mardin also has signed a new long-term contract.

A native of Turkey, Mardin has been involved with such hits as the Bee Gees’ “Jive Talking,” Bette Midler’s “From a Distance” and Phil Collins’ “Against All Odds.”

Su Armstrong was promoted to vice president of production for Walt Disney’s Hollywood Pictures unit.

Diane Sutter was named to head the newly created television division for Shamrock Holdings, the Burbank-based investment arm of the Roy E. Disney family.