Talent agency WME has appointed Cindy Garas as senior VP of human resources.
She is starting her new role immediately and will be based in the company’s Beverly Hills office.
In her position, Garas will have oversight of human resources at the agency, including teams based in Beverly Hills, London, Nashville, New York, and Sydney. Garas will work closely with WME leadership and serve as a member of Endeavor’s global human resources leadership team.
Prior to joining WME, Garas was at Walmart as a senior HR leader to the U.S. marketing and media groups. She previously led human resources for Jet.com and has also worked in HR departments at Under Armour, Ralph Lauren, the NBA, Macmillan Publishing and Wiley Publishing.
Like most agencies, WME has been forced to implement a significant number of layoffs to cut costs amid the pandemic. Hollywood has been hit hard by the global health crisis, leaving film and TV productions across the globe in a state of limbo. As a result, hundreds of Endeavor and WME’s 7,500 employees faced layoffs, pay cuts and furloughs.
In May, WME CEO Ari Emanuel addressed the tumultuous entertainment landscape brought on by the coronavirus crisis in a memo to staff. “As we all focus inward to protect our personal health and safeguard our families, every company around the world is simultaneously faced with safeguarding the health and future of its business,” he said. “We are no different. All parts of our company are feeling the effects.”