Wheelhouse Group is adding a chief creative officer to its executive ranks, bringing CAA vet Eric Wattenberg aboard.
The agency’s former co-head of alternative television will run entertainment efforts across all areas of Brent Montgomery’s media, marketing and investment company.
“Eric was in my first ever agency meeting and has been a colleague and friend ever since,” said Montgomery. “He is one of the most respected agents in the history of unscripted, and I’m thrilled, both professionally and personally, to be working with him now as my partner. He joins us at an exciting and pivotal time, and represents a major step in building out our overall content business as we work to grow Wheelhouse Group into a home for five-star talent looking to match our ambition and momentum with the expansion of their own brands.”
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Wheelhouse has been on an investing and hiring spree, building up its roster since its 2018 launch. Most recently, production company Kimelot (Jimmy Kimmel’s joint venture with Wheelhouse) sold a science-based prank show to Discovery with the working title Revenge of the Nerd.
Wattenberg’s tenure at CAA saw him represent a slew of on-air talent (Kelly Ripa, Andy Cohen, Nick Cannon, Hoda Kotb and Neil Patrick Harris) and production companies (Truly Original, Imagine Entertainment, Matador Content, Sharp Entertainment and BBC Worldwide Productions). His new job will have him focused on working with Wheelhouse’s pool of entrepreneurial-minded talent.
“CAA is an incredible organization, and I have been beyond blessed to work alongside some of the world’s top talent, not just on the client side, but within the walls of this remarkable agency that makes you want to be the very best for your clients, for your partners, and for yourself,” said Wattenberg. “Brent’s vision for Wheelhouse Group as an aggregator of talent, content, brands and capital feels like a swing for the fences in the evolution of our business. It is a uniquely exciting, entrepreneurial prospect that I simply couldn’t pass up. I am incredibly grateful to my colleagues at CAA for the amazing opportunities and friendship they have offered me over 10 years, and I plan on continuing to work with them very closely in this new venture.”
