Richard Parsons Named Sony Pictures Television SVP for International Production

COLOGNE, Germany - Richard Parsons, a former executive at Elizabeth Murdoch's Shine Group and BBC Worldwide, has been named the new senior vice president for corporate business and legal affairs, international production at Sony Pictures Television (SPT).

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Parsons will take up his new job later this month, reporting to Corii Berg, SPT's senior executive VP of business affairs in Los Angeles. He will be based at SPT's London office.

Parsons will oversee corporate business affairs for SPT's portfolio of international productions companies and head up deal negotiations for future acquisitions, joint ventures and strategic partnerships on the international side. He will also act as an advisor to to the president and senior management team of SPT’s international production business.

“Richard has an impressive track record of executing successful joint ventures and acquisitions on behalf of high profile companies in the global television sector," said Berg, making the announcement of Parsons' appointment. "He brings highly valued expertise, an eye for detail and international knowledge that will support our successful portfolio of 18 production companies and joint ventures around the world, as well as future growth initiatives.”

Sony has been expanding its international production operations, most recently with the acquisition earlier this year of a majority stake in British production company Left Bank Pictures, the banner behind Wallander - a crime series starring Kenneth Branagh. SPT already produces scripted television locally in several territories, including Germany, Russia, the Netherlands, The Middle East and across Latin America.