Canada’s Boat Rocker undergoes shake-up after management buyout
Boat Rocker produces Invasion for Apple TV
Canada’s Boat Rocker Studios is implementing a reorganisation that it says will “better align the business with its strategic priorities” after completing a management buyout last year.
The new strategic plan is focused on content creation, ownership and global monetisation. It will see the company restructure several of its teams, with an unspecified number of positions being eliminated or relocated, and other new roles being created.
In addition, several key executives have been promoted and had their responsibilities expanded at Boat Rocker, which is behind series including Invasion (Apple TV), Orphan Black: Echoes (AMC), BET (Netflix), The Next Step (BBC, Corus, CBC) and Dino Ranch (Disney+, Disney Junior, CBC).
Among them, Jon Rutherford has been promoted to president of global content and rights. He now has oversight of all creative affairs and production across scripted, unscripted and kids and family, while continuing to oversee global rights, franchises and content strategy.
Mellany Welsh, who joined Boat Rocker a year ago as senior VP of brand partnerships and content marketing, has been promoted to senior VP, head of distribution and brands.
Reporting to Rutherford, she will now oversee the distribution division, as well as monetisation of Boat Rocker’s owned and acquired assets, while continuing to lead brand strategy, consumer products, content marketing and communications.
The content team, now reporting to Rutherford, is led by Nick Nantell as well as Gia Delaney and Natalie Vinet. Delaney (senior VP, global sales and content for kids and family) and Natalie Vinet (senior VP, global sales and content for unscripted) have been elevated to lead pre-sales and the creative affairs teams for owned originals across animation and unscripted respectively. Delaney and Vinet assume these new responsibilities while retaining their existing distribution roles, which now report into Welsh.
The restructure comes five months after Blue Ant went public having completed a reverse takeover of Boat Rocker. Through that deal, Boat Rocker, which had previously traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange, went private as principals David Fortier, Ivan Schneeberg and John Young executed a management buyout.
“We’re thrilled to have Boat Rocker back in our own hands, and we have in place a long-term strategy to continue to build a world-class content creation and rights management business,” said Fortier, Schneeberg and Young in a statement.
“We will be focused firmly on investing in best-in-class owned IP, either developed and produced in-house, or acquired from third parties. We aim to deliver to our creative and licensing partners unmatched expertise in curating and monetising that premium entertainment across platforms and territories.
“We’re incredibly excited about the future of Boat Rocker Studios and we’re confident these changes will position the company for continued growth and long-term success.”
