ICM Partners Forms Digital Strategy Division, Hires Group Head

Keyvan Peymani

ICM Partners has renamed its digital division and has hired Warner Bros. executive Keyvan Peymani to lead it. 

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The group, called the Digital Strategy Division, will oversee all of the Century City-based talent agency's efforts in the digital space and replaces the agency's new media division, which had been headed by George Ruiz, who is leaving the company. Peymani began work at the agency on Monday.

The department will expand the agency's presence in the digital space and will target "the creation of new businesses and investments with long-term benefits," ICM said in a statement on Monday. The expansion of ICM's digital business comes on the heels of the management buyout that allowed the agency to become a partnership. With some notable staffers not being included in the partnership, some shakeout has been expected.

In ramping up its digital business, the agency appears to be taking aim at rivals such as CAA, WME and UTA, which all have pursued strategies that include incubating digital companies that involve or service existing agency clientele. An ICM insider said that the conversion of the agency to a partnership has allowed the company to "allocate resources more appropriately for the betterment of the agency."

Ruiz, who was senior vp business affairs at the agency, is expected to continue to manage the careers of the clients he had at ICM. He took to Twitter on Monday morning to say that he'd soon have an announcement about his next venture. "It's an exciting time to be digital and surrounded by so many innovative people," he said.

At Warner Bros., Peymani has served as vp direct to consumer business planning and operations. He also worked on the first screenings of movies through Facebook and Warner's acquisition of Flixster last year.  

“I am excited to leverage the agency’s assets in all areas of business to further strengthen its presence in the digital space,” Peymani said in a statement.

Email: Daniel.Miller@THR.com

Twitter: @DanielNMiller