After being formed by celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay and Fox Entertainment in 2021, Studio Ramsay Global (SRG) has made its first key executive appointment. Cyrus Farrokh will serve as senior vice president heading up worldwide strategy and U.S. operations.
Farrokh will work with Ramsay as well as Fox Alternative Entertainment (FAE) president Rob Wade and SRG’s chief creative officer Lisa Edwards to oversee business development and global growth strategy. He will be based in Los Angeles as he builds on the company’s first year of operations, which have included the launch of Fox’s “Next Level Chef as well as a new free ad-supported television channel on Fox’s Tubi, international format sales with ITV in the U.K. and the upcoming series “Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars.”
Farrokh enters the position after serving as president of distribution at Propagate Content for five years. There, he launched the company’s international operations in 2017, in addition to packaging and producing local language series for Netflix and ABC. Farrokh was also responsible distributing to NBC, Hulu and National Geographic for series including the “American Song Contest,” “Hillary” and “Running Wild with Bear Grylls,” as well as third-party distribution for Showtime, Viacom and FAE.
He previously led sales and acquisitions as a senior vice president at Electus and head of format sales for Shine International, where he commissioned IP including “MasterChef.” Farrokh has also worked at Media Rights Capital and Endeavor.
SRG has offices in London, Los Angeles and Glasgow and produces all new series featuring and/or produced by Ramsay. Wade oversees all new production, while Ramsay’s series created for other platforms prior to the formation of SRG continue to be produced by their respective production entities.
“I’ve known and admired Cyrus for many years as he’s represented FAE’s intellectual property with great energy, creativity and aplomb,” said Wade. “He’s played an invaluable role in growing our presence around the world, and as we mark the first anniversary since SRG’s formation and start building out its leadership team, we’re excited to bring Cyrus in-house to focus his talent, experience and instincts on Gordon’s rapidly expanding content portfolio and growth plans.”
“We are delighted to welcome Cyrus to Studio Ramsay Global,” added Edwards. “Given his incredibly strong track record and excellent knowledge and understanding of the television landscape, he’s the perfect addition to our dynamic, prolific team. We very much look forward to working closely with him to help drive forward our vision and expand the business globally.”
“I am thrilled to join the fantastic Studio Ramsay Global team as they continue to innovate and represent excellence in food, lifestyle and so much more,” Farrokh said. “I want to thank Gordon, Lisa, Rob and Fox Entertainment CEO Charlie Collier for their incredible energy and support, and for placing no limits on this ambitious new growth phase as we enter exciting new markets, verticals and business ventures.”