GROUP EXECUTIVES
Karine MARTIN
Chief Executive Officer and Producer
A leading figure in female entrepreneurship and the entertainment industry with 25 years’ experience, Karine is an award-winning producer, an entertainment lawyer. As CEO and co-founder of Mediabiz International and Starlings Entertainment as well as co-founder and Managing Partner of MBM3 (two Los Angeles based production and financing companies) Karine defines their strategic directions and oversees the financing, production and operation of their projects. Karine also manages affiliated funds in addition to sitting on their respective investment committees.
Karine has been involved in equity raising, fund managing and financial engineering for Mediabiz’s affiliates as well as third-party media groups, international banks and funds (sovereign, private and pension) throughout Asia, the Middle East, North America and Europe. Through Mediabiz and its affiliates, Karine has been a producer, executive producer or financier of over 45 film and television projects.
Based in Montreal and Los Angeles, she started her career as an attorney for two large law firms in Canada where she practiced litigation, commercial and corporate law in addition to entertainment law. She is the recipient of the 2017 Business Women of the Year Award and member of various boards and organizations, including the International Women Forum and the Women President Organization.
Jean-François DORAY
President Mediabiz International / Mediabiz Capital
With an MBA and extensive experience in finance and the entertainment industry, Jean-François is the co-shareholder of Mediabiz and its affiliated American groups. Together with Karine Martin, he participates in the definition and execution of Mediabiz’s strategic plans, including those of all of its affiliates. For the past 20 years, he has conducted financial operations for media groups, international banks, sovereign, private and pension funds, as well as producers and distributors in Asia, Europe, from the Middle East and the Americas. He started his career in international relations working for various governmental and political organizations. Subsequently, he worked for a Canadian state bank where he was responsible for the loan portfolio dedicated to the development of international markets for entertainment companies, including film, television, new media, performance and music.
Patricia BROWN
President, Mediabiz Europe
Patricia is established in London and has 25 years of experience in the finance sector and the entertainment industry. As president of Mediabiz Europe, she is in charge of all European relationships and has the mandate to develop Mediabiz’ financial activities in Europe, including raising equity, setting up funds and co-managing Mediabiz Capital’s investment transactions in collaboration with the North American financial division. Prior to joining Mediabiz, Patricia worked for Future Films from 2008 to 2011, as the company’s managing director and also as a member of the board. In 2000, she joined the Media & Entertainment team of the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) as one of the initial team members and rose to be head of the structured tax team in 2005, before assuming the position of head of the media & entertainment team in 2007. The media portfolio consisted of £8bn of assets with clients from major and independent US and European studios, including Time Warner, 20th Century Fox and Walt Disney Pictures. Prior to RBS, she worked for Greenwich NatWest where she was associate manager for leasing, asset and structured Finance (1989-2000). Patricia is a member of the board of Starlings Entertainment and its fund. Involved in identifying opportunities as well as developing businesses and partnerships, she works closely with the CEO in the execution of strategic, corporate and business operations for all Mediabiz affiliated entities.
Sophie DORÉ
EVP Business and Legal Affairs
Sophie is a member of the Quebec Bar as well as the Bar of the State of New York. She has developed her private practice experience in the media and entertainment industry with the world-renowned comedy provider Just For Laughs, where she was head of legal affairs. Sophie supervised corporate and legal affairs in all of the company’s areas of operation, from production projects, live performances, to numerous television projects. As director of legal and business affairs at Groupe Entourage, a multiplatform Montreal-based entertainment provider specializing in live performance, television, and music production, she was responsible for all manner of corporate affairs, litigation, and legal matters related to operations. At Mediabiz, Sophie navigates the often-complex legal logistics of international co-productions. She is responsible for all of the insurance and legal affairs pertaining to production, finance, as well as tax credits, and for supervising cross-border legal affairs in conjunction with Mediabiz’ worldwide partners and affiliates.
DIVISIONS AND AFFILIATED EXECUTIVES
STARLINGS
Chris PHILIP
President, Starlings Television
Executive producer and veteran international television executive Chris Philip has been responding to the fast-shifting changes in the TV industry, by developing innovative deal-making strategies with a range of global partners, to secure financing, sponsors and distribution for content based on successful formats, third party content, and original concepts that appeal to a wide range of buyers worldwide. Chris has sold a number of scripted series to U.S. networks such as TNT, STARZ, WGN, CBS, ABC and LIFETIME. He has partnered with Televista, Lionsgate, Gaumont, Universal Cable Productions, Bellum, Propagate (Ben Silverman), and A&E. Chris co-produced series of digital properties that achieved nearly 100 million views on YouTube. He co-founded Engine Entertainment in 2009 where he secured third-party content for distribution, built a development slate, and concluded an overall deal the following year with Ben Silverman’s Electus to help launch Electus’s international arm. While partnered with Ben Silverman he oversaw the distribution of all finished tape (Mob Wives, Fashion Star) and their formats worldwide and he co-produced a series of digital properties that achieved nearly 100 million views on Sophia Vergara’s NuevOn channel. In 2011 he re-launched Engine and executive-produced NBC’s primetime scripted drama series, SIBERIA, and secured distribution rights to John Malkovich’s NBC pirate drama series entitled Crossbones. Chris was also Executive Producer of U.S. syndicated action series SAF3 starring Dolph Lundgren. Chris has been President of at London-based Power Television, former VP at NBC Universal (regionally managed a library including the films Jurassic Park, Gladiator, The Mummy and hit TV series House, Monk and Law & Order), VP at PolyGram Television based in New York and Director of Sales at Alfred Haber Distribution (Dick Clark Productions’ library, Grammy Awards).
MBM3
Mike SEARS
Managing Director
Mike has a 25-year career producing and directing in the world’s most challenging regions. His projects have taken him from snow-capped volcanoes in Ecuador, to the deserts of the Sultanate of Oman, the jungles of Borneo and the badlands of the Australian Outback. An early and frequent collaborator with Mark Burnett, Mike produced and directed Mark’s first television experience with the Raid Gauloises Adventure Race, going on to produce and direct the first two Eco-Challenge documentaries and setting up the first season of Survivor with Mark. Mike formed Norsemen Productions. Over a six-year period Norsemen was the outside production company for TBS, producing numerous, network promotions and specials. During this time Norsemen also created and produced series for Discovery, TLC, Fox and Court TV. Throughout his long career Mike has been involved in all aspects of production. His projects have garnered numerous Emmy nominations and awards. Mike’s recent focus has been in independent film and financing.
Michael EMERSON
Managing Director
Michael began his media career in 1979, with the creation and hosting of the radio feature “Face to Face,” an issue-oriented, nationally syndicated radio news program that aired on 126 stations in the United States and 697 stations in 41 countries around the world. After 1,075 broadcasts, in 1984, he left radio to expand his horizons in the fields of television and feature films. Michael produced the six-hour mini-series for the American Heroes Channel (AHC) entitled “Against the Odds” which premiered with record-breaking audience members, as well as the Vietnam mini-series “Brothers in War” hosted by Charlie Sheen, for the National Geographic Channel (NatGeo). He has also directed and co-produced The History Channel’s award-winning, ten-hour mini-series “World War II in HD,” “Vietnam in HD” and “The Air War in HD” along with “When Cowboys were King, “Hollywood’s Greatest Villains” and “70’s Fever,” as well as the A&E special, “Cecil B De Mille” and “The James Woods Biography” among others. Michael is also a member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and currently heads up his own production and media relations company, Michael S. Emerson Productions.
PYXIS DEVELOPMENT
Anne-Catherine LAFAILLE
Partner and Head of Development
Anne-Catherine has lived and studied in both Paris and Montreal. She holds a master’s degree in history and completed course requirements for a PhD, before turning to freelance writing and editing. Prior to launching the Mediabiz affiliated development entity, Pyxis Development, she worked on the creation and development of documentaries, feature films and television series. Anne-Catherine acts as head of development and is in charge of the evaluation and development of scripts coming from every horizon (independent international agents and producers including prominent Hollywood ones) according to the requirements of the financial division and the production needs.