DreamWorks Animation has tapped former Sony Pictures Entertainment exec Randy Lake as its new COO. He will start in July.
Lake will oversee the animation studio’s animated feature and TV production, as well as other main businesses. His hire was announced Wednesday by DreamWorks Animation president Margie Cohn, who in January was put in overall charge of the studio’s film and television units as part of a management restructuring.
Lake joined Sony Pictures Entertainment in 2006 and was promoted 10 years later to president, studio operations and Imageworks, to oversee all operations and strategy. Before Sony, he served at Booz Allen as a strategy consultant to the entertainment, media and technology industries. Lake began his career as a securities attorney with Brobeck, Pheleger, Harrison in San Francisco.
“As we solidify our leadership team, Randy provides a strong strategic vision that will be beneficial to the entire studio as we partner in taking DreamWorks into the future,” said Cohn. “His years of experience working cross-divisionally will allow us to expand upon the successful collaboration between our film and television divisions, as well as with our colleagues at Universal, furthering DreamWorks position as one of the most prolific animation studios in the world.”
In an internal memo sent to employees and obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, Tom Rothman, chairman of the Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group, paid tribute to Lake ahead of his departure, which is set to take place in June. “Randy has done a great job managing these complex areas of our business. He and the excellent team at Imageworks contributed greatly to some of our biggest animation successes, including our Hotel T franchise,” Rothman wrote. “I want to thank Randy for his dedication and contributions to SPE, and for broadening our strengths and capabilities at the studio overall, and to congratulate him on his new gig.”
To replace Lake, Michelle Grady will be promoted to executive vp as she take over management of Sony Pictures Imageworks. She joined the studio in 2016.
And on the studio operations side, Tom Cotton will fill the new role of executive vp content mastering and delivery group, while Emmanuelle Borde becomes executive vp post media center, managing a range of on-lot postproduction services.
Lake is a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
May 15, 12:45 p.m. Updated with comments from Tom Rothman.
