Tom McCarthy, Sony Pictures Entertainment’s executive vice president of postproduction services, is retiring from his role after a career spanning three decades with the studio.
Kimberly Jimenez will now be promoted to fill his shoes in a new role as senior vice president of postproduction services at the studio. The news was shared in a note with staff on Thursday from Jon Hookstratten, EVP of Administration & Operations. McCarthy and Jimenez’s transition period will begin immediately.
“Tommy” McCarthy led SPE’s sound and editorial mixing departments and was an editor on shows such as “How the West Was Won,” “CHiPS” and “Logan’s Run” and in 1992 won an Oscar for Sound Editing for “Bram Stoker’s Dracula.” He’s also a BAFTA winner for “Out of Africa.”
“Tommy’s contributions to SPE and the impact he’s had on the industry and those who have been fortunate enough to work with him are immeasurable. He and his team have created a culture which reflects the absolute best in the business,” Hookstratten wrote in his note. “Kimberly is a 30-year veteran in the post sound industry. She came to Sony in 2018 with deep experiences leading post sound teams including those at NBC Universal, Soundelux, and Todd-AO where she started in the billing department and elevated to the position of senior vice president of sound editorial services. I look forward to seeing Kimberly’s continued leadership and commitment to our best-in-class post production team and facilities.”
McCarthy began his career in 1975 at MGM Studios and eventually became a supervising sound editor. In 1985, he formed the independent sound company The Sound Choice and led it until he joined SPE five years later and has been with the studio ever since.
McCarthy most recently managed the studios’ sound editorial and mixing departments and oversaw the creation of soundtracks for television and movies. He also facilitated technical collaboration between the studio’s sound facilities and engineering teams from Sony Corporation to further the development of consumer and professional products.
McCarthy is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and a past member of its Executive Sound Branch Board. He is also a member of the Television Academy and sits on the Sound Peer Group Executive Committee. He currently serves as president of the Motion Picture Sound Editors and is a member of the Cinema Audio Society.
McCarthy also comes from a family with a long history in the entertainment industry. His father, Thomas J. McCarthy, was a picture editor who became executive vice president of worldwide postproduction for Columbia Pictures. His wife, Roxanne, worked as a sound editor and supervising sound editor for many years.