Brent Montgomery Exits ITV America, David George Named CEO

Brent Montgomery, who has been CEO of ITV America since 2015, is leaving his post to set up a new entertainment company, with David George tapped as his successor.

George, who has served as president of ITV America since January 2017, has been named CEO of ITV America. He assumes his new role immediately, while Montgomery will stay on for the next six months as strategic advisor to ITV America.

Montgomery, whose production company Leftfield Entertainment (Pawn Stars) was acquired by ITV in 2014, is creating a new venture, the details for which will be announced in the coming days. The outfit will focus on content and talent around which it plans to create and build “360” businesses.

ITV America has struck a production partnership with Montgomery’s new company. Together, they will create a range of unscripted projects for multiple distribution platforms and markets, to be produced by ITV America’s in-house production infrastructure.

Ed Simpson, who has served as executive VP of business development and international at ITV America, will be exiting ITV America to join Montgomery in the new business.

Julian Bellamy, managing director of ITV Studios, said: “I fully understand Brent’s decision; he’s an entrepreneur at heart and this move takes him back to what he loves doing most. I would like to thank Brent for being a fantastic leader of ITV America and I’m delighted he will be partnering with us in his new venture. Brent hands over a business in great shape with an exceptionally strong team behind it. It’s a testament to his leadership that we are able to appoint a new CEO from within the group.”

Bellamy continued, “I am delighted that David is stepping up. He has already shown that he is a brilliant creative and talented business leader, a true industry force who has a strong background on the network side as well as running a major production company. I very much look forward to supporting David’s vision as he continues to build ITV America.”

George added, “In 2010 when I left the network side, and everything familiar to me, to join Brent on this wild ride, I could never have imagined that the path would take us here. As a producer, and during my long tenure at MTV steering TRL, I learned unequivocally that each day is a chance to prove your worth. From the minute I started as an executive producer at Leftfield Pictures through now, as CEO of ITV America, that same opportunity has been put in front of me on a daily basis. For that I will never be able to thank Brent Montgomery enough. ITV America encompasses an amazing group of people, and we are focused on how we can reimagine what a production company can be. Creating content is a team sport, and together we will continue the legacy of this company, making bold moves and adapting to what comes. I want to thank Julian Bellamy and everyone at ITV for their ongoing support, as well as our network and platform partners with whom we will work in concert to navigate the next media wave. I cannot wait to get started. We will prove our worth, one day at a time.”

Montgomery said, “While I couldn’t be happier to embark on my next entrepreneurial chapter, leaving the hardworking, supremely talented and genuinely amazing people of ITV America, and what we created together, was the most difficult decision of my career. Now, as I look to build and grow a new company, I am thrilled to continue to partner with ITV America—the best in the business and whose great fortune it is now to be led by my longtime partner David George. He took Leftfield Pictures and made it better, he took Leftfield Entertainment and grew it, and I expect nothing less at ITV America. The trust and support ITV has shown me over the last four years is unprecedented. I couldn’t be more thankful and proud of our accomplishments and am happy to be leaving the company in great hands, and with an incredible slate of cable, network and OTT shows heading into the new year.”