Vuguru Names Larry Tanz as President

LOS ANGELES: Larry Tanz, the co-founder of Agility Studios and former CEO of LivePlanet, has been named president of Vuguru, to build out the recently funded joint venture between Michael Eisner’s Tornante Company and Rogers Media.

Tanz comes to Vuguru after co-founding and serving as president of Agility Studios, which develops, finances and produces entertainment-oriented digital franchises, such as the recently announced Legion of Extraordinary Dancers, Ultradome and The Shatner Project. Prior to Agility, Tanz served as president and CEO of LivePlanet, with co-founders that included Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, where he produced numerous film, TV and new-media projects, including Project Greenlight.

“We’re thrilled to have Larry as Vuguru’s first president,” said Eisner, the company’s founder and chairman. “His entrepreneurial experience and track record for marrying high-quality creative content with strong fiscal management will enable him to achieve our long-term vision for Vuguru. Additionally, his ability to work with established talent and foster relationships with up-and-coming creators will, no doubt, be an asset to the business.”

“High-quality, story-driven content has always found an audience, and with the recent explosion of video consumption on digital platforms the audience is finally here—and it’s massive,” added Tanz. “The management of Tornante and Rogers Media understand better than anyone how to deliver a quality entertainment experience to a global audience and I’m honored that they have asked me to be a part of something so crucial to the future of this industry. Moreover, with industry leader Rogers Media supporting the company through its significant capital investment and mighty cross-platform distribution support in Canada, Vuguru has the resources to expand production rapidly and distribute products on a large international scale out of the gate.”