Mahon named Shine CEO

Alex Mahon has been named CEO of News Corp-owned production group Shine, with incumbent Lis Murdoch remaining chairman.

Alex Mahon

Mahon, who has been Shine’s second in command since 2006, will take on the top job from September. Company founder Murdoch has held the CEO role since Shine’s inception in 2001.

The move puts Mahon in charge of Shine’s 28 operating companies, which include prodcos Dragonfly, Kudos Film & TV, Shine TV, Metronome Film & TV and Princess Productions, and distribution arm Shine International.

Mahon joined Shine six years ago from FremantleMedia-owned prodco TalkbackThames (now FremantleMedia UK), where she was chief operating officer. Before that, she was FremantleMedia’s director of commercial development and strategy.

The development is the latest in a string of changes that have followed News Corp’s £415m (US$644m) acquisition of Shine last year. Notably, the company named Camilla Hammer as its new distribution chief in charge of Shine International, replacing Chris Grant in December.

More recently, Jane Featherstone and Henrietta Conrad took over Shine’s UK business, as Shine TV joint MDs Jamie Munro and Karen Smith exited. There have also been top-level changes at Shine TV, Scandi prodco Meter, Metronome and Shine Americas, plus acquisitions in the digital space.

Murdoch is to deliver this year’s MacTaggart lecture at the Edinburgh International Television Festival in August, just before she stands down from the CEO job.

“As Shine further diversifies across genres, geographies and platforms, the continued growth of the company requires the chairman and CEO roles to be distinct and separate,” said Murdoch.

“The division of duties will focus Alex’s attention on managing the operational business while allowing me to concentrate on identifying future strategic opportunities and remaining the custodian of Shine’s unique culture of creative excellence.”