John B. Penney Moves Up at Starz

BEVERLY HILLS: John B. Penney, formerly the executive VP of strategy and business development at Starz, has become the company's new chief strategy officer.

As chief strategy officer, Penney will be expected to help improve Starz's corporate and business growth strategies. He will develop an execute such strategic initiatives as partnerships, ventures and innovative models for new business opportunities. He will continue to work under Chris Albrecht, the CEO of Starz.

Before being hired by Starz, Penney served as the president and head of corporate development at Foresee Entertainment, which he co-founded with Albrecht in 2008.

"John has been a trusted partner to me and the senior management team at Starz, and I am pleased he will take on the role of chief strategy officer," said Albrecht. "His deep insight into the global media and entertainment ecosystem is uniquely valued. He has set a high bar in providing our management team with keen industry analysis that has been invaluable to our decision making, and we look forward to John's continued contributions to helping grow our businesses."