Generate Builds Out Executive Team
Adds New CFO, EVP of Business Affairs; Appoints Generate Studios Leadership
“As Generate continues to deliver on the promise of developing integrated content to migrate across platforms it became crucial that we augment our corporate structure,” said
Gwiazda, who will lead Generate’s finance and accounting operations, is a veteran of HBO, where he held numerous positions in finance and analysis, including Vice President, across sales, domestic and international distribution and original programming. As a key member of the new media programming team he contributed to online comedy site This Just In, HBO Lab and The Las Vegas Comedy Festival. Before HBO Gwiazda was a senior accountant at KPMG. He is a Certified Public Accountant and holds a Masters in Business Administration and Juris Doctor.
Stephen was most recently Counsel at Cartoon Network, where he was primarily involved in establishing the network’s live action series and movie business. Previously he was director of business and legal affairs — at Lionsgate Television, working in both network and cable television. Prior to joining Lionsgate, as President of Adam Productions Stephen was an executive producer of television movies including Holy Joe and ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas. Early in his career Stephen spearheaded ABC Production’s efforts in international co-productions. He is a member of the
Generate Studios
Aronson, a founding partner of Generate, will spearhead Generate Studios’ development of multiplatform content, including that developed under Generate’s exclusive multiyear television development and production deal with Twentieth Century Fox Television signed last month. Aronson previously served as president of Regency Television and, before that, was executive vice president of Walt Disney Television and Touchstone Television.
“We had a successful 2008 and 2009 is off to a strong start with the Fox deal,” said Aronson. “With Michael’s extremely deep industry experience and award-winning vision, Generate Studios is going to keep developing great entertainment concepts for a range of media channels, supported by the diversity of the entire Generate team from production to management.”
Petok, who has over 25 years of experience, manages all Generate productions of projects across platforms as well as outside production services. He previously worked with Aronson on The Bernie Mac Show. In addition to his Emmy win for In Living Color, he has won four NAACP Image Awards for In Living Color and
Generate produced two of the fall television season’s most critically-lauded new series: The David Alan Grier vehicle, Chocolate News for Comedy Central, and Somebodies, BET’s first original scripted series based on the Sundance-honored film of the same name. In addition to Chocolate News and Somebodies, Generate’s fall 2008 slate included two scripted, original Web series: The political satire Republicrats produced exclusively for MSN; and the second and third seasons of the Webby-nominated dark comedy, Pink: The Series, which recently cracked the top 15 most-subscribed channels on YouTube.
Petok also supports Generate Management, Generate’s talent management division, which represents a range of screenwriters, producers, filmmakers, actors and comedians. Generate Management’s eight managers operate in both
About Generate
Launched in 2006 by leading entertainment executives with diverse experience in television, film, digital and talent management, Generate is the first cross-platform production and management company established to develop franchise entertainment properties for the transmedia generation. Generate develops professionally produced, premium content that can migrate from broadband to television, film, publishing and beyond, and creates innovative concepts to integrate into the advertising, technology and entertainment communities. Generate’s talent management arm boasts a large concentration of online talent including actors, comedians, writers, producers and directors. Headquartered in
SOURCE Generate