EXCLUSIVE: Sony Pictures Television (SPT) veteran Cheryl Lynch is exiting this summer as the international production group shifts business affairs from L.A. to London.
The news comes a few weeks after Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) boss Ravi Ahuja commenced a months-long layoffs process that will impact a few hundred of its 12,000 global staff.
As part of that reorg, SPT has moved international business affairs to the UK capital. That change has led to Lynch’s departure, we understand. She is no longer a director of SPT labels including The Crown producer Left Bank and will exit over the summer. Succession plans will be revealed in due course.
Lynch has been with SPT for 20 years. She worked her way up to EVP, Head of Business Affairs & Scripted Formats where she helped shape strategy for 15 Sony labels including Left Bank, Bad Wolf and Sex Education producer Eleven. She made deals with local broadcasters for Sony shows and managed the worldwide scripted formats biz.
Lynch, who previously worked for Fox and Showtime, was part of SPT’s international senior management team under chief Wayne Garvie. Last year, he brought in Charlotte Moore, the BBC content boss, to run Left Bank plus take on an EVP, Creative Director, International Production role.
The SPE layoffs come as Ahuja pivots focus towards growth drivers like Crunchyroll and Playstation adaptations, and away from the likes of House of the Dragon VFX firm Pixomondo, which has closed. We have reported Lynch’s exit on the day of SPE’s full-year results, which were boosted by Crunchyroll’s success but hit by the closure of Pixomondo. Excluding the Pixomondo shutdown, operating income was up 11% in USD terms to $858M.
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