Sony Pictures Completes Reshuffle of Executive Suite

Sony Pictures Entertainment formalized its new management team Wednesday with the announcement of an organizational structure replete with a dozen or so new titles and reporting relationships.

The company said the new structure is designed to create a more nimble organization that can quickly exploit the full range of businesses associated with blockbuster movies, including merchandising and video.

In November, Sony Corp. President Nobuyuki Idei appointed the new management team for the Japanese electronics giant’s long-troubled U.S. studio operations, now headed by President and Chief Operating Officer John Calley, co-President Jeff Sagansky, Executive Vice President Yuki Nozoe and Senior Executive President Bob Wynne.

Ever since Sony bought Columbia Pictures and TriStar Pictures in 1989, the studios have been plagued with management upheaval and financial debacle.

Under the structure announced Wednesday, Calley will oversee all creative and operational aspects of the company’s motion picture group, composed of Vice Chair Lucy Fisher, co-Vice Chair Gareth Wigan, Columbia Pictures President Amy Pascal and TriStar Pictures President Robert Cooper.

Kenneth Lemberger, an 18-year veteran of SPE and its predecessor companies, has been named president of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, with responsibilities for the worldwide business, financial and administrative activities of the film companies.

Lemberger also takes on responsibility for Sony’s newly created Digital Studio Division, which will be managed by President Ken Williams, and oversight of the company’s home video distribution business (Columbia TriStar Home Video), which had been a stand-alone unit apart from the motion picture group. As president of CTHV, Ben Feingold will continue to manage the home video distribution unit.

Sony’s worldwide marketing president, Bob Levin, will take on added responsibilities for exploiting the company’s brand name, product placement and marketing strategies for entertainment products. He will also oversee the consumer products division, Sony Signatures.

Lemberger and Levin, as well as domestic distribution chief Jeff Blake and international distribution head Duncan Clark, will report to Calley.

On the television side, Jon Feltheimer has been promoted to the new post of executive vice president of SPE and president of the renamed Columbia TriStar Television Group.