LOS ANGELES/LONDON – October 2nd 2019 – It was announced today that Laura Kennedy will join the Avalon Group as the company’s chief executive officer, and a member of the Board of Directors. Avalon’s founders Jon Thoday and Richard Allen-Turner will become Co-Executive Chairmen of the company.
Most recently holding the position of COO at Lionsgate Television Group, Kennedy headed operations, strategy and planning of the television division and directed all TV-related mergers and acquisitions. During her twelve-year tenure at Lionsgate, Kennedy helped scale the television operations to over $800M in annual turnover and led many transactions including the company’s acquisitions of Debmar-Mercury, Pilgrim and 3 Arts. Kennedy will re-join Avalon where she started her career as a talent manager. The Avalon Group comprises artist representation, live promotions, television production and distribution, with offices in Los Angeles, New York and London.
Jon Thoday, Co-Executive Chairman of the Avalon Group, said: “Laura’s record at Lionsgate speaks for itself, she is an exceptionally talented executive and we are delighted she has chosen to return to Avalon. It’s very rare to have the opportunity to bring someone in who understands the company’s DNA and we are all looking forward to the future in this exciting environment for creative talent.”
Laura Kennedy, CEO of the Avalon Group, added: “I am thrilled to be joining the team at Avalon. They have built a phenomenal business, with an impressive talent roster and a high-quality production slate. I am honoured to be granted the opportunity to work with them, and am excited to lead the next phase of the company’s growth.”
Kennedy joined Avalon after graduating from Harvard College, where she received an A.B, magna cum laude, in English and American Literature. She also received an MBA degree from Harvard Business School.
Kennedy joins Avalon today and will be based at the company’s Los Angeles headquarters.
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For more information, please contact: Dan Lloyd at Avalon on 020 7598 7222/ [email protected]
Notes to Editors:
ABOUT THE AVALON GROUP
Avalon is a multi-award-winning talent management, television production and live promotion group with offices in Los Angeles, New York and London. Avalon and ARG, the talent management arm, has discovered and represents many artists that are household names, both in the USA, the UK and around the world.
Avalon Television produces numerous ground-breaking television shows including: multi-Emmy and Peabody award winner Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO); multi-award winning and Emmy-nominated Catastrophe (Channel 4/Amazon Prime Video); RTS and Rose d’Or winning Not Going Out (the BBC’s longest running sitcom currently on air); BAFTA and RTS-nominated Taskmaster (DAVE/UKTV); Sky’s most successful new entertainment launch since 2010, The Russell Howard Hour (Sky); the forthcoming Breeders, co-created by Martin Freeman, Chris Addison and Simon Blackwell (FX/Sky); the recently launched Alternatino with Arturo Castro (Comedy Central USA); two seasons of Wyatt Cenac’s Problem Areas (HBO); and the recently green lit Starstruck, a sitcom from the 2018 Edinburgh Comedy Award winner Rose Matafeo (HBO Max/BBC). As well as iconic shows including: Fantasy Football League (BBC/ITV); the multi-BAFTA award-winning TV Burp (ITV); and seven seasons of Workaholics (Comedy Central USA).
Live, Avalon produced Newman and Baddiel: Live at Wembley, the UK’s first arena comedy show; Jerry Springer: The Opera, the first West End show to win all four UK ‘Best New Musical’ awards; and has continued to produce live shows globally, as well as promoting more winners and nominees of the prestigious Edinburgh Comedy Award than any other company.
For Avalon news visit: www.avalonuk.com/press or follow @avalonent
