John Flock Takes Top Post at Peace Arch

TORONTO: John Flock has been upped to CEO of Peace Arch Entertainment Group, succeeding Gerry Noble, who exited the post in May.

Flock was most recently the president and COO of the Canadian-based company, which has had its fair share of ups and downs over the last few years. In 2007, then CEO Gary Howsam was arrested on fraud charges and was finally cleared earlier this year. Howsam was replaced on an interim basis by Jeff Sagansky until Gerry Noble was appointed to the role. Noble exited less than a year after his appointment. "John has exhibited tremendous leadership and vision over the past five years at Peace Arch dealing with a number of challenges for the company," said Peace Arch’s chairman, Robert Essery. "John enjoys the complete support of the board, our principal shareholders and the management team.” 

Flock is looking to establish the company as the leading independent film and TV outfit in North America within the next five years. His plan includes expanding its theatrical releasing operations in Canada and the U.S.; expanding the in-house TV, digital and international distribution divisions; rebuilding the DVD operations and tapping into its Canadian resources to deliver high-quality, cost-effective content. “I am extremely pleased to be taking the reins of Peace Arch at a time when many of our competitors have scaled back their operations,” he said. “This retrenchment presents an extraordinary opportunity for Peace Arch to grow its core business of feature film and television distribution while we continue to look for strategic growth opportunities in ancillary businesses.”