Legal Expert Jill Tandy Joins Universal Pictures International

LONDON –  Media legal expert Jill Tandy is joining the Universal Pictures International team as executive vp, commercial affairs at the studio's overseas unit. She will report to president, international, Universal Pictures David Kosse who announced the appointment on Monday.

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Kosse told THR Tandy's appointment will introduce a wealth of experience and management skills to the business affairs team for the operation, describing her as a "terrific addition to the team."

Tandy will manage the business and management aspects of deal-making for the production team based in London with a focus on local language productions.

She is scheduled to start in February 2013 and will report directly to Kosse.

Tandy will also work closely with Universal’s Los Angeles-based exec vp of worldwide acquisitions Peter Kujawski who was appointed to that position in September 2011.

Prior to signing up with UPI, Tandy established her own independent consultancy practice in 2007 providing a broad range of business advisory and management services to the international film and television sectors with a client roster boasting the British Film Institute, Working Title Films, NBCUniversal, the U.K. Film Council and the National Film and Television School.

From 1999-2007 she was co-managing director and co-owner of Qwerty Films, a feature film production company, which she established together with the former chairman of PolyGram Filmed Entertainment Michael Kuhn and PFE’s COO Malcolm Ritchie.