Khanna names new MGM team

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s (MGM) television president Roma Khanna has drafted four executives into key positions at the studio.

Vicky Gregorian has been named senior VP of domestic television distribution; Susan Hummel has been promoted to senior VP of US basic cable and Canadian television; Damien Marin has been upped to senior VP of pay-TV and digital media; and Vinicio Espinosa is the new VP of Latin American television distribution.

The appointments are Khanna’s first since she became MGM Television’s president last month and follow the departure of co-presidents Gary Marenzi and Jim Packer. The former left the company last month and the latter joined Lionsgate in the first quarter of this year.

Khanna, who left her previous role at NBCUniversal in the executive exodus that followed Comcast’s takeover, said the appointments “are a key part of our strategy to grow our television business globally.”

Prior to joining MGM, Gregorian was senior VP of domestic distribution at US indie Litton Entertainment and previously ran New Line Cinema’s television syndication arm.

Hummel and Marin were most recently senior VP of North American television distribution and VP of worldwide on-demand and digital media respectively.

Along with his main duties, Marin will assist Hummel with US basic cable sales. The pair, with Gregorian, reports to John Bryan, MGM’s president of domestic TV distribution.

Espinosa rejoins MGM – where he previously worked in the corporate development team – from Brazilian movie company Corisco Films, where he was chief operating officer.

He will report to president of international TV distribution and acquisitions Chris Ottinger, who was promoted to the role last month.

MGM last year made it through bankruptcy protection after securing an arrangement with investment bank JP Morgan that gave it a US$500m pot for new film and TV productions. In exchange, its creditors, owed nearly US$4bn, became the studio’s owners.