All Def Digital, which launched last year with DearmWorks Animation’s AwesomenessTV, hires Machinima veteran Sanjay Sharma as its first President and Chief Operating Officer.
Culver City, CA -- Digital consumer entertainment brand and cross-platform network All Def Digital announced that it has hired Sanjay Sharma as its first President and Chief Operating Officer. The announcement was made today by ADD co-founder Russell Simmons.
With over 15 years of media, consumer web, content, advertising and technology experience, Sharma will be responsible for working with ADD’s founders on overall strategic direction as well as running all day-to-day business and operational affairs. Sharma will also join the company’s Board of Directors.
Sharma joins All Def Digital from online video pioneer Machinima, where he was one of the company's first employees and was a key architect of its expansion and growth as Executive Vice President of Strategy and Business Development. Among his many responsibilities during his nearly five years at Machinima, Sharma ran strategy, business development, corporate development, corporate communications, and business and legal affairs for the company.
“We have been incubating All Def Digital for some time now, working closely with our partners at Awesomeness TV, YouTube, HBO, and Universal Music Group as we introduce an incredible new generation of talent to audiences worldwide,” said Simmons. “As many of our early concepts took root, our fans responded and advertisers took note. We knew we were ready to take All Def Digital to the next level, but first we had to identify and recruit a rare executive that understood the multiracial singularly cultural audience, and knew the many worlds we play in, from digital and television to film and music. We’re thrilled to have Sanjay join us as we build a transformative new breed of media company that can surround our programming and talent with industry leading, branding, distribution and commercial partnerships.”
“I’m excited to have this opportunity to build upon the early success of All Def Digital, and to partner closely with industry veterans like Russell, as well as our other co-founders Brian Robbins, Osman Eralp and Steve Rifkind,” said Sharma.
"ADD is perfectly positioned to re-invent what it means to be a multi-dimensional consumer media brand,” Sharma explained. “We focus exclusively on high potential, emerging artists and creators, authentic content experiences that engage our audience, and innovative brand solutions for our world-class advertising clients. Our digital platform, with pillars across comedy, music, news, poetry, TV, film, branded entertainment and artist management, is the foundation of a new paradigm. We’re bringing our content and talent to a new generation of consumers whether on YouTube or HBO, in movie theaters, intimate club venues for our live comedy nights, or even on streaming music services like our ADD radio station on Samsung’s MILK Music.”
Among the company’s groundbreaking initiatives, All Def Digital fully unveiled this month at a press conference in New York City its innovative new talent discovery program dubbed ADD52, a unique and important collaboration between ADD and Samsung’s Milk Music streaming service, in which a new single from an undiscovered artist will be released every week for a year. (This Week’s: http://add52.com/Dunson)
Sharma previously served in the Business & Legal Affairs division of Warner Bros. Pictures and, prior to Machinima, in strategy and business development for four years at an advertising technology startup. A graduate of Stanford University Law School, and Columbia University, he is an active member of and advocate for the Los Angeles startup community, advising a number of early-stage companies and working closely with area accelerators.
Source: All Def Digital
Formerly Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network, Jennifer Wolfe has worked in the Media & Entertainment industry as a writer and PR professional since 2003.
