Ink Factory rejig as Michele Wolkoff named president, Cornwell bros become chairmen

Ian Spence and Michele Wolkoff

Simon and Stephen Cornwell, co-CEOs of The Night Manager producer The Ink Factory, are shifting to the roles of chairmen, with creative director Michele Wolkoff stepping up to become president.

Wolkoff has taken on the newly created role as well as that of chief creative officer, while finance director Ian Spence has been named chief financial and operating officer.

Wolkoff will be responsible for setting and executing the company’s core creative strategy and for building out the company’s slate.

Spence will oversee all business affairs, financial and operational support functions. Both Wolkoff and Spence are based at the company’s London headquarters.

As part of change, co-CEO and co-founder Simon Cornwell will become executive chairman, continuing his stewardship of the company which he launched alongside his brother Stephen in 2010. Both are sons of the late author David Cornwell, widely known by his pen name John le Carré, whose work The Ink Factory has brought to the screen.

Simon Cornwell will succeed Rod Henwood, who remains on the board and becomes deputy chairman. Fellow co-CEO and co-founder Stephen Cornwell will become creative co-chairman, providing key creative and strategic support across the company’s slate and operations.

His primary focus will be on The Ink Factory’s multi-season project Legacy of Spies, which he is showrunning and co-writing alongside his partner Clarissa Ingram.

Meanwhile, former NBCUniversal International Studios and Vertigo Films production lead Laura Burrows has joined as head of production to oversee the execution of The Ink Factory’s slate of projects across the UK, US and internationally.

Lachlan MacKinnon (A Discovery of Witches, Industry), formerly at Bad Wolf, has joined The Ink Factory as executive producer across its slate, currently focused on delivering The Night Manager’s upcoming third season in partnership with Stephen Garrett’s Character 7.

Sam Costin has been promoted to creative producer, both in recognition of his contribution as co-executive producer on the first season of Legacy of Spies and of his work creatively across the Ink Factory slate.

Amy Basil, meanwhile, has returned to the company in a dual role as chief marketing officer across both The Ink Factory and The John le Carré Estate.

The shake-up comes after production completed recently on the first season of Legacy of Spies, the adaptation of le Carré’s George Smiley novels for the BBC and MGM+ starring Matthew Macfadyen.

The company also recently wrapped principal photography on Gold Mountain, an Ang Lee-helmed adaptation of C Pam Zhang’s acclaimed debut novel How Much of These Hills is Gold, produced in partnership with 127 Wall Productions, Likely Story and Fifth Season.

The Chinese-language re-imagining of The Night Manager, starring Eddie Peng, produced in partnership with 127 Wall, is also in post-production for Chinese streamer Youku.