Skydance Taps DreamWorks Alums to Lead Animation Studio

Skydance Media has appointed four industry veterans, including Holly Edwards, to key leadership positions as its animation studio continues to grow.

Edwards will serve as head of production for animation. Kim Mackey will step into the role of head of talent acquisitions and talent development, while Jessie Carbonaro was named director of talent acquisitions and talent development. Matthew Burke was appointed as director of finance. Edwards, Mackey, Carbonaro and Burke have all worked at DreamWorks Animation.

Edwards will work closely with Bill Damaschke, the president of animation and family entertainment, and individual producers 
to oversee all aspects of production for the animation projects at the studio, as well as help establish the plan for growth at the studio. Edwards is a 20-year veteran of feature films and television. She joined DreamWorks Animation in 
2002, where she served in both production and executive roles, managing films across three
 intercontinental locations.

Mackey will be responsible for recruiting and talent development strategy across all divisions of the company. This includes helping to attract and retain top talent for the new animation division, as well as managing the process across live-action feature film, TV and interactive divisions. She will report to President and COO Jesse Sisgold. Mackey is a 22-year veteran of the animation industry and most recently served as the global head of recruiting for DreamWorks Animation.

Carbonaro will be charged with developing and maintaining relationships with talent throughout the animation, interactive and live-action communities. She will be managing the candidate experience to help attract top talent to the company. Before joining Skydance, Carbonaro was part of DreamWorks Animation for nearly 13 years. There, she started her career in TV as a producer and writer.

Burke is responsible for all financial activities of the division. Collaborating with senior leadership, he will be focused on building the division into an elite player in animation production. Prior to joining Skydance, Burke spent 14 years as finance lead on multiple animated features at DreamWorks Animation.

“With this accomplished team in place, Skydance is now well-positioned to achieve our goal of producing a bold, original slate of both animated and family programming,” said Damaschke. “Holly, Kim, Jessie and Matt have the wealth of experience, knowledge and skills to lead our creative teams and bring together talented artists to build an animation studio that is a destination for top storytellers in the industry.”