Sean Cohan Exits A+E for Wheelhouse Role

Sean Cohan is leaving his role as the president of international and digital media at A+E Networks to lead Brent Montgomery’s Wheelhouse Entertainment.

The A+E Networks veteran will remain with the company through the end of this year to manage the transition, starting his new role in January 2019.

As Wheelhouse Entertainment’s president, Cohan will work with Montgomery, CEO of Wheelhouse Group, and Ed Simpson, chief strategy officer, to lead content and marketing opportunities across the company, as well as talent and strategic partnerships. He will also collaborate with Wheelhouse’s in-house production label, Spoke Studios.

Wheelhouse, founded by former ITV America CEO earlier this year, made headlines this week with its joint venture with Jimmy Kimmel.

“At a time of seismic change in media and entertainment, to say that hiring Sean Cohan is a major win for us would be an understatement,” Montgomery said. “From international business building to the rollout of a diverse range of creative worldwide, Sean’s expertise in growing businesses and forging innovative partnerships is matched only by his passion and character. His commitment and great instincts have also bolstered the social impact of his work across audiences and cultures, making him one of our industry’s most respected executives. We are grateful to Paul Buccieri and A+E for working so supportively towards a new, collaborative relationship. Under Sean’s leadership, Wheelhouse will continue building out an ecosystem of bold approaches and new models that can lasso and leverage the ways talent, brands, content and technology all connect to forge new experiences for a global audience.”

Paul Buccieri, president of A+E Networks Group, noted, “Sean has been a vital part of the A+E family for 15 years. He has played an integral role in the international and digital expansion of some of the most respected brands. All of us at A+E are going to miss Sean and his vision, passion and leadership.”

Cohan added, “At A+E, I have had the thrill of launching a range of successful creative businesses and driving transformative growth with smart, inspired leaders. I’m proud to have grown robust international and digital efforts from scratch, and even more so to have assembled and learned from an exceptional global team. With that talent and infrastructure in place, it seems a great moment to make an exciting entrepreneurial leap. Wheelhouse represents a new opportunity to explore uncharted territory with successful thinkers and creatives, and I cannot wait to dive in. I’m grateful for the support of my colleagues, partners and friends, and look forward to working together in new ways.”