Sony Pictures Entertainment has appointed Jay Levine as EVP, Chief Strategy Officer and Business Operations.
Levine most recently spent a year as CEO of Kevin Hart’s media company Hartbeat. Prior to that, he held various executive posts over 11 years at Warner Bros. before being named Chief Strategy Officer and EVP of Business Operations for WarnerMedia‘s Studio and Networks Group.
In his new role at Sony, reporting directly to CEO Ravi Ahuja, Levine will be responsible for driving strategic growth initiatives. He will also oversee corporate development, investments, and mergers and acquisitions as well as providing direct oversight of a portfolio of SPE businesses and departments.
“I am thrilled to welcome Jay to Sony Pictures,” Ahuja said in a press release. “He brings not only deep expertise and a great reputation but also a collaborative spirit and strong relationships that will help drive our company’s growth. Jay’s insight and leadership will be invaluable as we continue to expand and innovate.”
At Hartbeat, Levine steered the private equity-backed company as its programming efforts yielded breakthroughs like Greatest Roast of All Time: Tom Brady on Netflix and Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist on Peacock. He also renewed and/or restructured key deals with significant partners, including Netflix, NBCUniversal, Sirius XM, Procter & Gamble and DraftKings.
Levine’s WarnerMedia post, which preceded the company’s merger with Discovery, saw him overseeing strategy and business operations for WB Pictures Group, HBO and HBO Max Programming, WB Television Group and many other brands. Prior to joining Warner Bros. in 2009, he worked in Disney’s corporate strategy and business development group as well as at ESPN.
“Sony Pictures’ dynamic portfolio of businesses and commitment to innovation presents a really unique and exciting opportunity,” Levine said. “I look forward to collaborating closely with Ravi and the entire leadership team to advance the company’s opportunities for expansion and growth given the evolving media landscape.”
