Anonymous Content’s Dawn Olmstead, Heather McCauley make sudden resignation

Anonymous Content CEO Dawn Olmstead and chief operating officer Heather McCauley have both resigned from their positions, the US-based company announced yesterday.

Dawn Olmstead

“Thanks to Dawn’s contributions, the company is in a strong position, and we are confident that our team, values and talent will continue to thrive,” read a statement from the board of directors.

“Dawn has been a valued leader for the past two years and we wish her and Heather the best of luck in their future endeavours.”

Olmstead joined the company in November 2020 after previously serving as president of Universal Cable Productions. Meanwhile, McCauley had been with the company for less than two months, after spending a decade at Netflix as VP of business and legal affairs.

Interim leadership will be named soon, according to sources, while the board met with division heads yesterday to affirm their ongoing commitment to the company.

A reason for the abrupt departures was not given, though it appears the pair made the decision to exit their roles rather than being forced out.

Media reports suggest the dual departure could be related to the company’s decision to settle with former employee Keith Redmon, who brought a lawsuit against Anonymous Content in 2022 alleging breach of contract and asserting that it engaged in a “public smear campaign” by claiming untrue sexual misconduct claims as the reason for his dismissal.

Anonymous Content’s TV credits include Shantaram (Apple TV+), 13 Reasons Why (Netflix), True Detective (HBO), Mr Robot (USA Network) and Defending Jacob (Apple TV+), while its film credits include The Revenant and Spotlight.

The company’s global footprint has expanded significantly in recent years with the launch of several joint ventures including AC Nordic, AC Brazil, Anonymous/Federation in France and Chapter One in the UK.

The studio has plans to significantly expand its roster of joint venture partnerships over the next three years.

Olmstead said: “I am proud of all we accomplished during my two years at the company. I am especially grateful to my extraordinary team who worked alongside me to take Anonymous to exciting new levels. I wish them all the best.”