Amaze Bolsters Executive Team with New Hires

Independent production company Amaze has expanded its executive team with the hiring of Alex Lalonde as chief operating officer and Gina Vanni as senior VP of business affairs.

As COO, Lalonde will be charged with managing corporate operations, as well as sourcing IP and co-production opportunities, packaging, financing, sales and acting as an executive producer across projects.

Lalonde brings more than 30 years of experience in film, television and digital media to her role. She previously led Stratagem RX, where she produced The Desperate Hour and the Canadian shoot for Marvel’s Hawkeye and Secret Invasion. Prior to that, she was VP at New Metric Media (Letterkenny, Bad Blood). She has also served as COO at Digital Howard, where she launched the multi-Canadian Screen Award-winning interactive platform for Wynona Earp interactive.

As senior VP of business affairs, Vanni will be responsible for business affairs and finance, both corporately and across the Amaze slate of domestic and service productions.

Vanni began her career at the Ontario Media Development Corporation (OntarioCreates), certifying tax credits for film, television and digital media projects. Later, as director of tax credits and financing, she oversaw the administration and certification process for Ontario’s tax credit programs. Other roles she has held include senior VP of business affairs, VP of production finance at Dufferin Gate Productions and Take 5 Productions and VP of business affairs at New Metric Media.

Lalonde and Vanni will report to Amaze co-founders Michael Souther and Teza Lawrence.

“Our goal is to grow the award-winning Amaze brand and to further scale-up into international markets, diversify the production model and expand talent collaborations,” Souther and Lawrence said. “Alex and Gina are leaders in global treaty co-production, commercial co-production, domestic and service production, and will be an integral part to Amaze’s expansion and growth into broader markets.”