Reshuffle as joint MD quits Kudos

Shine Group indie Kudos Film & Television has shaken up its management team, as its joint MD prepares to leave to form his own prodco.

The drama prodco’s founder and executive chairman Stephen Garrett has added the role of chairman to his responsibilities and creative director Jane Featherstone has been upped to CEO.

With Simon Crawford Collins leaving to launch his own indie away from the News Corp-owned Shine Group later this year, co-MD Dan Isaacs takes a new expanded role as chief operating officer.

Garrett continues as executive chairman of New Regency/Shine joint venture Shine Pictures and assumes new group responsibilities. These including developing group digital strategy and creating new global scripted brands.

“This restructure ensures Kudos’ creative and commercial renewal and retains its peerless DNA,” said Shine Group chairman and CEO Elisabeth Murdoch.

“It is an evolution that prepares the company for its next exciting chapter. It allows Stephen to work across a broader canvas, Jane and Dan to lead the company to what I’m sure will be yet more critical and commercial success, and Simon to pursue his dream.”

Collins – whose credits include Spooks, Hustle and Ashes to Ashes – leaves Kudos after a decade to fulfil a “long-held ambition to establish his own independent drama company,” he said.

Details of his new company were not forthcoming beyond the fact it will launch later this year, and he could not be contacted at press time.

The news came after Shine Australia’s co-CEOs Carl and Mark Fennessy were given additional roles as heads of Shine USA and global production division Shine Network respectively.

That reshuffle came soon after Murdoch moved distribution arm Shine International to Shine Group’s headquarters in London. The relocation led to the departure of CEO Chris Grant and executive VP Jon Pollak, though the latter remains as head of sales until the end of the year.

This month, Shine also launched an Iberian office, with BocaBoca Productions’ former director general Macarena Rey as CEO.