Myers out at Starz

Starz Entertainment president and chief operating officer Bill Myers is leaving after a decade with the Liberty Media-owned US premium cable firm.

Myers, who is also president and COO of sister production and distribution business Starz Media, leaves nearly two years after former HBO topper Chris Albrecht joined as CEO of the units’ holding company Starz LLC.

“Bill has contributed greatly in driving Starz’s growth and success. We are enormously grateful for his 10 years of service and wish him well in his future endeavors,” said Albrecht in a statement.

Myers joined Starz Entertainment as chief financial officer and executive VP in 2002, becoming president and COO four years later and adding the Starz Media titles in 2008. Both jobs had him overseeing sales, marketing, programming and administration.

Albrecht has put his own team in place since taking the reins. Former IMG exec Carmi Ziotnik and Forsee Entertainment’s John Penney arrived in March 2010 as MD and executive VP of strategy and business development, respectively.

The company has been busy building up its homegrown production slate on the back of the success of Spartacus and more recently Boss, plus international coproductions, last year striking a pact with BBC Worldwide and earlier this month allied with The Weinstein Company and Electus for a Marco Polo epic.

Myers’ departure was first reported by Deadline last night.