Boat Rocker Bolsters Studios Division

Boat Rocker has made updates to the roles of several key senior executives in its studios division, including Jon Rutherford.

Rutherford, formerly president of kids and family and rights at Boat Rocker Studios, is taking on the new role of president of global rights, franchise and content strategy for Boat Rocker Studios. In this role, Rutherford will continue to oversee the sale and exploitation of all Boat Rocker-owned or managed IP and brands worldwide and to oversee animated kids and family projects. He will assume an expanded role in the management of the studio’s content ownership and rights retention strategy and will be responsible for sourcing projects, presales, co-productions, regional productions and franchise brand opportunities across all genres in line with that content strategy. Rutherford will report to Studio Co-Chairmen Ivan Schneeberg and David Fortier.

Nick Nantell, formerly executive VP of creative affairs at Boat Rocker Studios for scripted, is taking on the role of executive VP, head of scripted creative for Boat Rocker Studios. In this expanded role, Nantell will lead all scripted endeavors across the studio, including scripted live-action kids and family content. Nantell will continue reporting to Schneeberg and Fortier.

Kerry Appleyard, formerly senior VP of creative affairs at Boat Rocker Studios for scripted, is taking on the expanded role of senior VP, head of scripted for Canada at Boat Rocker Studios, reporting to Nantell. Appleyard will be responsible for leading the studio’s scripted endeavors in Canada.

Michael McGahey has joined the company as VP of content for kids and family live-action at Boat Rocker Studios, reporting to Nantell. McGahey will be responsible for developing and producing live-action kids’ and family content for the studio. McGahey joins Boat Rocker’s Los Angeles office from Mindshow, where he was head of creative development and sales. Previously, McGahey worked at MarVista Entertainment as VP of development and co-productions and Disney Television Animation as VP of development.

Jill Danton, executive VP, head of production at Boat Rocker Studios, adds oversight of unscripted and kids and family (scripted and animated) production to her remit. Danton, who now leads all physical production efforts across the studio, will continue reporting to Schneeberg and Fortier.

Hameed Ahmed, senior VP of finance and operations at Boat Rocker Media, is adding head of finance for Boat Rocker Studios to his remit, leading the studio finance function across all studio divisions, expanding his responsibilities to include kids and family and unscripted finance, in addition to scripted. Ahmed will report to Schneeberg and Fortier, with a dual report to Boat Rocker Media CFO Judy Adam.

“We’re excited to be continuing to strengthen the connectivity between our company and the marketplace through several key updates across Boat Rocker Studios,” said Schneeberg and Fortier. “We’ve built a world-class team, and these updates to roles and structure serve to further optimize how we work with our valued creative and business partners around the globe.”