Murdoch Employees, Matthew Anderson And Bob Cohen Join Murdoch Backed AWA Studios
by Olly MacNamee
News in that Matthew Anderson, a Strategic Advisor and investor at James Murdoch’s Lupa Systems, and Bob Cohen, former 20th Fox Legal Head have both joined AWA Studios. Not only has Anderson joined AWA’s Board of Directors and become an investor but he will be guide the newly announced film and TV division, AWA Studios and expand its portfolio to build up new film and TV franchises. AWA is backed by Lupa Systems, Sister and Lightspeed.
As well as having been a Strategic Advisor he has quite the resumé:
“Anderson, a former Roku, News Corp and Sky Executive, is joining AWA’s Board of Directors to help guide the company following its recent launch of AWA Studios. Prior to joining Lupa Systems, Anderson spent over seven years as Chief Marketing Officer at Roku as a key member of the executive team that built Roku into America’s number one TV streaming platform. He was involved in Roku’s development as a consumer, advertising and publishing platform and a major advocate for free TV initiatives, including The Roku Channel and oversaw partner marketing activities building close relationships with major streaming services and studios.
Previously, Anderson was one of the top international executives at News Corp where, as Group Director, Strategy and Corporate Affairs, Europe and Asia, he strengthened performance of the television businesses (now 21st Century Fox) and managed a wide range of branding, marketing, channel packaging, programming, communications and corporate responsibility initiatives. Anderson also ran all brand marketing and communications at Sky plc, and served as Chief Executive of Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide’s Asian, Middle Eastern and European networks.”
Meanwhile, Cohen, who will be overseeing business and legal affairs for AWA and also comes with an equally impressive employment history:
“Cohen comes to AWA having previously spent 25-plus years in legal affairs at 20th Century Fox where he built and structured the legal department supervising and managing all legal departments for film development, production, acquisitions, and titles (including serving on the MPAA Title committee and acting as lead arbitrator in title disputes), while overseeing a staff of more than 100 employees. He also served as Executive Vice President for Fox Stage Productions, where he created and oversaw the stage production division utilizing Fox IP, with more than a dozen shows in various stages of development and production, including All About Eve, Mrs. Doubtfire, and The Devil Wears Prada. Prior to Fox, Cohen spent almost a decade as Senior Vice President, Legal Affairs at Paramount Pictures.“
Cohen is currently producing three upcoming Broadway productions including Mrs. Doubtfire (Broadway 2021), Secret Lives of Bees (West End, 2022) and Devil Wears Prada (Broadway, 2022).
As you will have noted from the headline these two new AWA additions have previously worked with the Murdoch family, with James Murdoch, and Elisabeth Murdoch as two of the backers for AWA Studios. Along with Lupa Systems too. Now that’s synergy!
