Universal Pictures on Tuesday morning announced its appointment of CAA veteran Matt Leaf as EVP, Head of Business Affairs.
In his new role, Leaf will lead the studio’s theatrical Business Affairs team responsible for negotiating above-the-line talent deals. He will establish terms for all projects developed, produced and distributed by the studio, along with those sold to or licensed by it, working closely with the Film Strategy team to prep financial models that will be used in the evaluation of new projects.
Leaf reports to NBCUniversal’s Vice Chairman of Business Affairs & Operations, Jimmy Horowitz. The exec comes to the studio with 25+ years of experience in the entertainment and digital media industries, most of which were spent at CAA.
During his time as Co-Head of Motion Pictures Business Affairs for the leading agency, Leaf directly managed the agency’s negotiations on behalf of its clients, working with both major and indie studios. His time there was marked by the genesis and evolution of major big-screen franchises, as well as the rise of streaming services as major competitors to legacy studios and an expansion in independent media financing. It also saw him help to build a pipeline of diverse Business Affairs talent for CAA through mentorship and training.
Leaf began his career at Warner Bros after earning his law degree from USC.
matthewgrobar
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