Alchemy chief Bill Lee will step down from his post effective immediately and the company has appointed industry veterans Kelly Summers and Scott Guthrie as co-presidents, it was announced Monday.
Lee will continue as an adviser to the Alchemy board and as an investor in the independent film and television distributor.
“It has a been a privilege to lead Alchemy and work alongside some of the best leaders in the business,” said Lee. “After many years with the company, it’s time to hand over the reins to a new team of talented executives. I look forward to working with the Board and our team to ensure a smooth transition.”
In their new roles, Guthrie will be responsible for leading sales, operations and finance, while Summers will oversee strategic planning, marketing and production/acquisitions. Both will report to Jesse Watson, chairman of the Alchemy board, who made the announcement.
“We’re excited by Alchemy’s vision for serving the independent creative community with one-stop access to production services and all channels of distribution. Scott and Kelly’s combined experience make them the perfect team to lead the next chapter of growth,” said Watson.
Guthrie most recently served as Alchemy’s COO, while Summers served as senior VP of strategy and financial planning. The duo have a history of effective collaboration, having worked together for over a decade.
“We have an enduring respect for the artists and filmmakers who are the foundation of our business and a deep commitment to exceed the expectations of our partners. Our vision demands a high degree of integration and collaboration across all functions, with consumer-driven distribution strategies supported by innovative marketing,” Guthrie and Summers said in a joint statement. “We are very excited to lead the Alchemy team with a focus on bringing great stories to targeted audiences across multiple platforms worldwide.”
Guthrie brings over 25 years of management experience crossing sales, marketing and operations, and is recognized for his ability to lead transformative business initiatives in consumer-driven categories and scale them across global markets. He has held key executive roles in businesses from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies, including entertainment giants Paramount, MTV, THQ and the Walt Disney Company. Harnessing an extensive network of partnerships, Guthrie has built out both physical and digital distribution channels and led the creation of global footprints for leading entertainment brands such as Disney, Pixar, Nickelodeon, Marvel, DreamWorks, Rock Band and UFC.
Summers has held executive roles at the Walt Disney Studios, where she led strategy, new product development, and digital distribution for the company’s portfolio of film and television brands. During her tenure, she brokered the studio’s first iTunes movie deal with Apple, launching the digital movie category and created the concept for Disney Movies Anywhere. Throughout her career, she has collaborated with some of the industry’s most recognizable and acclaimed filmmakers from Jerry Bruckheimer Productions, Miramax, Touchstone, Pixar Animation Studios, and Walt Disney Pictures. Summers also led strategy and integrated marketing with major global brands including Apple, Marvel, Netflix, Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft and Google.
Alchemy is the largest independent distributor of film and television content in North America. Alchemy partners with brands, filmmakers, major studios, and distributors to deliver entertainment to every channel, platform and window, reaching consumers in theaters, stores, homes, and mobile devices.
The company has distributed the work of some of the world’s finest filmmakers including Richard Linklater, Werner Herzog, Gregg Araki, Dito Montiel, John Hillcoat, John Turturro, Lee Daniels, Oren Moverman and James Cameron, to name a few, and owns a catalog of more than 1,000 film titles.
Alchemy distributes film titles and programming for clients including Air Bud Entertainment, DreamWorks Animation, Microsoft, Magnolia, MPI Media, Music Box Films, nCircle, PBS, Phase 4 Films, Team Marketing, Vertical and Well Go USA, among many others.