Starz Elevates Jeffrey Hirsch to COO

BEVERLY HILLS: Starz has promoted Jeffrey Hirsch to the post of chief operating officer, effective immediately.

In his new role, Hirsch will oversee affiliate sales, marketing, programming operations and research, as well as Starz Distribution and technology and product development. Hirsch joined Starz in 2015 as the president of global marketing and product development. He oversees the development of new Starz products and services, including the launch of the new Starz app, the Starz network rebrand and the repositioning of the Starz Encore suite of services. Prior to joining Starz, Hirsch worked at Time Warner Cable for 16 years, most recently serving as its executive VP and chief marketing officer for residential services.

Chris Albrecht, the CEO of Starz, said, “We are transforming Starz into a more innovative global-entertainment brand. Jeff’s talent and experience will help us accelerate the transformation that began five years ago. We have made great progress in our programming, brands, subscribers and shareholder value, and the organization is focused with an eye to the future.”

Hirsch remarked: “I am excited to continue to drive innovation around our award-winning programming to meet the needs of our growing fandoms and ultimately return more value to our shareholders.”

In addition, David Weil was elevated to the post of chief legal officer with expanded duties, including oversight of human resources. Weil previously served as the executive VP and general counsel at Starz. He has ten years’ experience as the CEO of Walden Media/Bristol Bay Productions, where he was in charge of all aspects of the company’s operations, including strategic planning, production, marketing and outreach, finance, legal and business affairs. Prior to that, he was a partner at O’Melveny & Myers for 25 years. In that role, he focused on the creation, operation and financing of entertainment and media companies.

Both Hirsch and Weil will report to Albrecht.