Imagine Entertainment Elevates Justin Wilkes To President
18.01.2023 - 00:45
/ deadline.com
EXCLUSIVE: Justin Wilkes, Chief Strategy Officer of Imagine Entertainment and President of Imagine Documentaries and Brands, has been promoted to President of the company, headed by Executive Chairmen Brian Grazer and Ron Howard.
Following Wilkes’ promotion, Co-President of Documentaries Sara Bernstein has been named President Of Documentaries, leading the division.
In his new role, Wilkes will be working closely with Imagine’s COO Steve Shikiya, President of Features Karen Lunder, President of Television Kristen Zolner, President of Documentaries Bernstein, EVP of Brands Marc Gilbar, and Brooke Posch, President of Jax Media, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Imagine Entertainment. He will also continue to work with Alex Gibney and the team at Jigsaw Productions across their slate.
Wilkes replaces Jax Media’s Tony Hernandez and Lilly Burns who left earlier this month after a year-long stint as Presidents of Imagine Entertainment.
The exit of the duo, who departed both Imagine and Jax (where Hernandez served as CEO and Burns as CCO) to start a new company together, followed Imagine’s move to exercise their purchase of the remaining 49% of Jax over the holidays.
Wilkes, an Oscar nominated and multi-Emmy-winning producer, who launched the Imagine Documentaries label with Bernstein in 2018, has steadily taken on more managerial responsibility within the parent company, most recently leading Imagine’s partnership with The Washington Post in his role as Chief Strategy Officer.
Over the past four years, Imagine Documentaries has built a presence in the premium non-scripted business with a slate that garnered 14 Emmy nominations this past year alone. Wilkes recently produced the praised Imagine docs, Louis Armstrong’s Black &