An Impressive List of Women
27 Oct, 2009 By: Stephanie Prange
Home Media Magazine has unveiled its 2nd annual honorary list of Women in Home Entertainment who are helping to drive and direct the home media business.
Our two top women, Lori Macpherson, GM, North America, at Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment and Lexine Wong, senior EVP, worldwide marketing, Sony Pictures Home Entertainmet, lead a strong list of influencial women in the home entertainment industry.
From the sales, legal, marketing and publicity executives at major studios to the doyans of independent film to content and operations executives in the retail trenches, women are part of the backbone of the video industry.
Women are gathering and directing the distribution of content for retailers such as Redbox and Netflix, and they are also caring for the gems from the vault at major studios. They are directing major blockbuster release campaigns on DVD and Blu-ray Disc as well as nurturing documentaries and independent films to success on disc and via digital delivery.
We have assembled a selected list of the women who help make the wheels of home entertainment turn, and we salute them.
It’s not an easy time to helm this business. Change — ever constant in the video industry — is coming faster than ever.
Redbox, a blip on the radar a few years ago, has stirred up the biggest controversy in the business since the end of the rental era and the dawn of DVD. Netflix and Blockbuster are in a fight for preeminance in the rental arena and via digital delivery as well. Meanwhile, studios big and small are facing a drop in sellthrough to consumers (sales are down 13.9% in the third quarter, according to the DEG numbers), while the rental business, digital entertainment and sales of the high-definition format Blu-ray are showing growth.
Women executives are in the trenches on all of these fronts. They are at major studios, independents, retailers and major industry organizations that are providing direction and cooperation in these uncertain times.
I am delighted to see such talent and intelligence among the ranks of women in home entertainment. With these ladies on our team, we are sure to navigate the challenges ahead and come out stronger.