Universal Pictures has appointed CAA veteran Matt Leaf as Executive Vice President, Head of Business Affairs.
Leaf will lead Universal’s theater affairs team in negotiating major talent deals, working out terms for Universal project development, financing, production and distribution, and how projects are sold to or licensed by the Hollywood studio.
He comes to Universal after spending most of his career at CAA, the Hollywood talent agency, as co-head of movies, corporate affairs.
Jimmy Horowitz, NBCUniversal Vice President of Business Affairs and Operations, to whom Leaf will report, wrote in a memo, “Matt’s leadership, strategic partnership and stellar reputation in our industry will play an important role in the studio’s long-term success in developing diverse entertainment offerings across our dynamic distribution ecosystem.”
A full copy of the employee memo follows:
Dear colleagues,
Today, I am pleased to announce that Matt Leaf will be joining Universal as EVP, Chief Business Officer, reporting to me. Matt is an accomplished executive with over 25 years of experience in the entertainment and digital media industry. He spent most of his career at CAA as co-head of motion pictures business affairs, directly leading the agency’s negotiations on behalf of his clients and working closely with all major and independent studios.
During his time at CAA, Matt helped guide the agency through transformative years and the creation of major franchise films, including the expansion of independent media financing and the rise of streaming services. He also played a key role in cultivating a pipeline of diverse business talent through mentorship and training leading to several industry leadership roles.
In this role, Matt will lead Universal’s theatrical corporate business team responsible for negotiating all deals above the line. He will be responsible for establishing terms and conditions for all projects developed, produced and distributed by Universal, as well as projects sold to or licensed by the studio. He will also work closely with our film strategy team in creating financial models used to evaluate upcoming projects.
As the media landscape continues to evolve, I am confident that Matt’s leadership, strategic partnership and great reputation in our industry will play an important role in the studio’s long-term success in developing a diverse range of entertainment across our dynamic distribution ecosystem. .
Please join me in giving Matt a warm welcome to the team.
Best,
Jimmy
