Paradigm is undergoing a high-level restructuring.
Variety has learned exclusively that the agency has promoted longtime agents Scott Henderson, Scott Metzger, Andrew Ruf, and recently hired chief marketing officer Lori Feldman to managing partners. Sam Gores remains CEO while Greg Bestick remains president and Marty Diamond continues to head up Paradigm’s music division.
According to sources, the moves have been in the works for months now. They are meant to streamline Paradigm administrative operations, with younger Paradigm agents also being given the chance to step up into larger admin roles in addition to their other duties.
“As we grow to more than 700 employees worldwide, we’re focused on streamlining decision-making, opening up leadership opportunities for rising agents, and freeing many of our senior agents from management responsibility so they can focus on artist representation and business development,” said Paradigm founder & CEO Gores. “We’re taking advantage of the intelligent, highly-strategic counsel consistently demonstrated by Scott, Scott, Andrew and Lori by establishing these new roles for them as Managing Partners, and we look forward to their strong leadership in growing our television, film, theatre, publishing and brand businesses.”
In their new roles, the four newly-minted managing partners will oversee the agency’s film, television, theatre, book publishing, content, brand partnerships, and corporate consulting practices. They will work alongside senior leaders Mark Ross and Doug Fronk in literary, Sarah Fargo and Stephanie Ramsey in talent, Jack Tantleff in theatre literary, Alyssa Reuben in book publishing, and Ben Weiss in content. Ruf will also continue to oversee Paradigm’s corporate consulting practice, which includes prominent luxury brand client Aston Martin.
Last year, there was renewed talk of a potential merger between Paradigm and UTA. Rumors abounded for some time before Gores announced in June that he was calling off talks around the deal. It was the latest instance of the two agencies dancing around the possibility of joining forces, an idea that goes back more than a decade.
(Pictured: Andrew Ruf, far left; Lori Feldman, second from left; Scott Henderson, second from right; Scott Metzger, far right)
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