CEO, Endemol Shine North America
Chairman, Endemol Shine Americas
Cris Abrego was named CEO, Endemol Shine North America and Chairman, Endemol Shine Americas, in November 2016.
Abrego oversees both the North American and Latin American divisions of Endemol Shine Group, the global independent content creator, producer and distributor with a diverse portfolio of companies that are behind some of the most prominent hit television formats and series in the world.
The former co-founder and chief executive of Endemol Shine-owned studio 51 Minds Entertainment, Abrego is one of the leading creators and producers of reality television in the U.S., recognized globally for pioneering a new genre of unscripted programming with the breakout celeb-reality series, “The Surreal Life.”
He originally joined Endemol Shine North America in October 2014, as Co-CEO and added oversight of the company’s Latin American operations in January 2016, as Co-Chairman, Endemol Shine Americas.
Abrego oversees all of Endemol Shine North America’s programming, including hits such as Big Brother (CBS), MasterChef (FOX), The Real Housewives of Atlanta (Bravo), MasterChef Latino (Telemundo), Mira Quién Baila (Univision), Ink Master (Paramount Network), Trading Spaces (TLC), Deal or No Deal (CNBC), LOL: Last One Laughing (Amazon) and the upcoming launch of Utopia (Amazon Prime), Almost Family (FOX), Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (HGTV), Lego Masters (FOX), Súbete a Mi Moto (Amazon), and The Biggest Loser (USA).
He also leads Endemol Shine North America’s portfolio of industry-leading subsidiary production companies, including Authentic Entertainment, Truly Original and 51 Minds Entertainment.
Additionally, Abrego has oversight of Endemol Shine Latino, the company’s Spanish-language sales and development arm that leads all programming initiatives across Latin America. Abrego recently led the launch of Endemol Shine Boomdog, the division’s newest studio that produces original content for both the U.S. Hispanic and Mexican markets.
Abrego, who sold 51 Minds Entertainment to Endemol in 2008, helped create the celeb-reality genre with the 2003 launch of “The Surreal Life” on The WB Network. He followed the success of “The Surreal Life” with a string of celeb-reality series for VH-1, including “Flavor of Love,” “Rock of Love with Bret Michaels” and numerous other hit series. At its height, 51 Minds Entertainment was producing more than 150 hours of programming a year for VH1 alone.
Abrego began his career at Bunim/Murray, where he worked in production on original unscripted hits “The Real World” and “Road Rules.”
As one of the highest-ranking Latinos in television, Abrego has made inclusion a top priority for his team at Endemol Shine and within the entertainment industry, as well. He recently launched a fellowship program with the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation focused on creating opportunities within the industry for diverse students.
In 2013, Abrego started a scholarship fund at his alma mater, Mountain View High School in El Monte, Ca., which provides college tuition and additional resources for student athletes. The program, led by Abrego’s mother Tina, currently has 14 students enrolled at four-year universities nationally and recently celebrated its first college graduating class with three scholarship recipients.
In 2016, Abrego released his first book, “Make It Reality: Create Your Opportunity, Own Your Success.” He currently resides in Los Angeles, California with his wife and three children.
DAN LIN
CEO & Head Wrangler
Rideback
Dan Lin is the founder and CEO of Rideback,the film and television company known for producing tentpole live-action and animated content for global audiences. Since forming his company in 2008, Lin has produced films that have grossed over $4 billion in worldwide box office. He most recently produced Disney’s live-action “Aladdin,” the first non-Marvel movie in 2019 to cross $1 Billion in worldwide box office, and the highly anticipated Warner Bros. sequel “It: Chapter Two,” which follows up Lin’s horror blockbuster hit “It.” Lin also produced the Netflix awards contender “The Two Popes,” starring Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce.
Lin is responsible for the LEGO movie franchise, which includes “The LEGO Movie,” “The LEGO Batman Movie,” “The LEGO Ninjago Movie,” and “The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part.” Lin also previously produced the hit mystery thrillers “Sherlock Holmes” and “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows,” starring Robert Downey, Jr., as well as Fox’s highly rated television series “Lethal Weapon.”
A community in service of creativity, Rideback is housed at Rideback Ranch, the creative campus in Historic Filipinotown that also serves the needs of world class writers and creators through unique programs including the Rideback TV Incubator, formed in partnership with MRC, which financially and creatively supports TV writers from diverse backgrounds who seek to create their own series for cable or streaming.
The Ranch is also home to industry leading companies such as David Ayer’s Cedar Park Entertainment, Margot Robbie’s LuckyChap Entertainment, Warner Animation Group and animation studio Animal Logic.
Prior to Rideback, Lin served as Senior Vice President of Production for Warner Bros. Pictures. During his eight-year tenure at the studio from 1999 to 2007, he oversaw the development and production of major films such as Martin Scorsese’s Oscar-winning drama “The Departed.”
Lin serves on the Board of Directors for several non-profit organizations, including the Evolve Entertainment Fund, the Good Shepherd Center for Homeless Women and Children, and the I Dream of Fish Foundation.
RYAN O’CONNELL
Writer, Executive Producer and Star of “Special” on Netflix
Ryan O’Connell is an actor, writer, and producer who can currently be seen starring in SPECIAL, an Emmy nominated eight-episode short-form Netflix/ Stage 13 series, which he wrote and executive produced. The series, which is also executive produced by Jim Parsons, is loosely based on O’Connell’s own upbringing and experience as a gay man navigating the world with cerebral palsy.
O’Connell’s series has been praised by critics, with Kathryn VanArendonk of Vulture remarking “SPECIAL lives up to its name.” For his work on SPECIAL, Ryan received the Human Rights Campaign’s 2019 Visibility Award. O’Connell is an accomplished, sought-after writer and his voice is both refreshing and unique. He is the author of I’m Special: And Other Lies We Tell Ourselves, part-memoir, part-manifesto which was published by Simon & Schuster in 2015 to critical acclaim. He served as the Editor of Thought Catalog and has contributed to Vice, BuzzFeed, and numerous other publications. O’Connell’s writing career spans television as well. He recently served as an Executive Story Editor on NBC’s revival of WILL & GRACE and was on the writing staff of MTV’s AWKWARD.
VERNON SANDERS
Co-Head of Television
Amazon Studios
Vernon Sanders is the Co-Head of Television at Amazon Studios. Sanders oversees all US-originated scripted & unscripted programming, alongside Albert Cheng. He reports to Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon Studios.
Amazon Original Series include the Emmy Award-winning The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, the hit action series Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan starring John Krasinski, the critically-acclaimed comedy Fleabag, Good Omens, the limited series based on the beloved book by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett and the break-out smash superhero series, The Boys. Upcoming series from Amazon Studios include the highly-anticipated Underground Railroad, from Barry Jenkins based on the award-winning Colson Whitehead novel; Them: Covenant from Lena Waithe, and The Hunt, from executive producer Jordan Peele and starring Academy Award-winner Al Pacino.
Prior to joining Amazon Studios, Sanders served as Executive Vice President, Current Programming for NBC, overseeing more than 25 shows each year over his seven-year tenure, including “This Is Us,” “The Good Place,” and “Superstore.”
Previously, Sanders acted as Senior Vice President, Comedy Series for NBCUniversal, where he was responsible for the creative supervision of the studio’s comedy programming efforts, including the Emmy Award-winning series “30 Rock” and “The Office.” Sanders also led the first year of the studio’s Director in Training program.
Sanders holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in film and video from Pennsylvania State University.
ODETTA WATKINS
EVP, Current Programming
Warner Bros. Television
Newly appointed EVP of Current Programming, Premium Cable & Streaming, Odetta is a veteran of Warner Bros. TV, who worked her way up the Current department after joining the studio in 2002. In her new post, she is overseeing the 25 shows Warner Bros. TV produces for cable and streaming, ranging from Westworld to Shameless to Castle Rock, with more on the horizon for HBO Max, Warner Media’s new streaming service that will launch in the spring of 2020.
Before joining Warner Bros. TV, Odetta held previous posts at FOX, CBS Productions, and TNT, where she helped to launch the cable network’s first few television series.
Originally from San Francisco, Odetta is a graduate of Howard University with a B.A. in Journalism. Although she originally intended to pursue a career in TV news, her love of primetime tv shows like “Dallas” and “A Different World” inspired her to follow her passion for creative television.
In addition to working with writers, Odetta is also passionate about striving for inclusiveness both in front of the camera and behind the scenes in the industry. She is an active member of the Television Academy, Colour TV; and also mentors young professionals on the executive path.
Moderated by
KAREN GRAY
EVP, Human Resources
A+E Networks Group
Karen Gray is Executive Vice President, Human Resources for A+E Networks® Group, which encompasses A&E®, Lifetime®, HISTORY®, Lifetime® Movies, FYI,™ and VICELANDSM. She was named to the role in June 2019 and has oversight of the company’s human resource functions globally, including culture, diversity, inclusion and all people-focused initiatives.
Gray comes to A+E Networks® from Christie’s Inc., where she served the Americas as Senior Vice President, General Counsel from 2008 to 2015; Chief Operations Officer from 2011 to 2016; and most recently, Head of Human Resources.
She brings to the role a unique mix of human resources, legal and business expertise and will serve on the executive management team, reporting directly to A+E Networks Group President Paul Buccieri.
Previously, Gray worked at Reuters as Senior Vice President and Principal Legal Counsel for the company’s business support group. Prior to Reuters, she was an attorney with the law firm of Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft.
Gray is a graduate of Williams College and Harvard Law School.
Geri Jewell is best known as Cousin Geri on the NBC sitcom, The Facts of Life. She was the first person with a disability to have a regular role on a prime-time series. She began her career doing stand-up comedy at the Comedy Store in 1978. In 1980 she performed at the 2nd Annual Media Access Awards, where she was introduced to Norman Lear by producer, Fern Field.
After her ground breaking role on Facts she has appeared on such shows as The Great Space Coaster, the Emmy award winning movie Two of a Kind, Sesame Street, 21 Jump Street, The Young and the Restless, Strong Medicine and the HBO hit series, Deadwood, which she also received Emmy consideration for. She also co-starred in the independent film “Night of the White Pants” and was featured on the FOX series, Alcatraz.
When Geri is not working in television, she is a highly sought-after motivational speaker and trainer in the areas of diversity, disability and GLBT issues. Her training has taken her to such companies as Hewlett Packard, Master Foods, Johnson Wax, AT&T, Amgen, Mass Mutual and Raytheon. She has also trained such government agencies as The C.I.A., The U.S. Treasury Department, Defense Intelligence Agency, and the U.S. Army.
She is famous for her uncanny ability to captivate the hearts of her audiences by using humor to facilitate attitudinal change. Geri brings to her presentations her personal experiences in life, which in turn allow people to gain insight into the prospect of seeing disability in a totally different light, creating hope where there is none, and joy where there is pain.
She has never forgotten her roots in comedy. She has appeared on many of cable comedy shows, including Evening at the Improv on A&E, and Stand Up Spotlight on VHI. She has opened for Paul Anka, Robert Goulet, and Judy Collins. She has been featured on Entertainment Tonight, E! Hollywood True Story, and ABCs 20/20, and A&E’s Biography.
All in all, Geri enjoys a thriving career. She has been the recipient of many awards, including the 1992 Founders Award, the 2005 Independent Living Legacy Award, and the 2006 Victory award. Her NEW autobiography, I’m Walking as Straight as I Can received the 2012 Gold Award by the Independent Publishers. She also received the 2013 Golden Halo Award, and the 2013 UCP Life Without Limits Award.