Keynote
Elle MACPHERSON FASHION STAR | Executive Producer & Host
Chris GRANT ELECTUS | CEO
Chris Grant is CEO of Electus, the first integrated multimedia entertainment studio to unite producers, creators, advertisers and distributors under one roof and produce all forms of content for distribution across a variety of platforms around the world. Grant joined Electus in November 2011 and is responsible for overseeing the company’s next phase of growth across global and domestic TV, digital and branded entertainment.
Grant previously served as President of Shine International, the global sales and distribution arm responsible for distributing programming from the Shine Group companies, including Reveille, Kudos, Dragonfly, Princess Productions, Brown Eyed Boy, Shine TV, Shine France, Shine Germany and Shine Australia as well as Metronome, the Nordic region’s leading production group. Since launching the company in February 2008, Grant propelled Shine International to become one of the world’s top television distributors, ranking number six in Broadcast’s Annual Distributor’s Survey. Grant was a leader in exploiting worldwide intellectual property rights through scripted and alternative television formats, while managing the creative, casting and storyline processes of formats sold for international production. He transformed formats including MasterChef, The Biggest Loser, The Moment of Truth and Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader? into truly global television brands.
Under Grant’s supervision, smash culinary format MasterChef has broken viewing records, becoming Australia’s most watched non-sporting broadcast ever with one in four of the population tuning in, and attracting nearly half of Israel’s viewing audience to become the country’s highest rated non-sports program in the last decade. The format is now locally produced in more than 20 countries and on air in 145 territories.
Prior to founding Shine International, Grant served as a Managing Director of independent studio Reveille, overseeing the company’s International Distribution and Creative Affairs division, where he was responsible for distributing all of Universal Television Group’s formats overseas. Reveille is known for popular, award-winning series including The Biggest Loser, The Office and Ugly Betty. Grant joined Reveille when it was formed in 2002 after working at the William Morris Agency.
Grant currently serves as Co-Chair of the NATPE Board of Directors and is a member of the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. For the past six years, he has served as a mentor for Fulfillment Fund, which provides low-income students with the support necessary to graduate from high school and attend college. Grant graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and lives in Los Angeles, California.
Ben SILVERMAN ELECTUS | Founder & Chairman
Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning producer Ben Silverman announced a partnership with IAC, led by media mogul Barry Diller, in July 2009 to launch a new company, Electus, which will capitalize on the ever-evolving world of multimedia production and distribution. With Silverman as founder and Chairman, Electus will unite producers, creators, advertisers and distributors under one roof and produce all forms of content for distribution across a variety of platforms around the world.
Silverman is executive producer of the Emmy Award-winning NBC comedy “The Office” and the Golden Globe-winning comedy “Ugly Betty,” is co-creator and executive producer of hit reality show “The Biggest Loser” for NBC as well as an executive producer and co-creator of the critically acclaimed “The Tudors” for Showtime.
Prior to launching the new media venture with IAC, Silverman served as Co-Chairman, NBC Entertainment and Universal Media Studios from June 2007. Responsible for directing the efforts of NBC Universal’s television operations, Silverman transformed the business model by connecting advertisers and consumers through content in a more profound way. Initiating the first of two Infronts, he rebranded the Upfront and enabled a two way conversation between media companies and advertisers. Fall 2009 marked Ben’s first non-strike-interrupted slate which builds on the critical and bottom-line success he had with “30 Rock,” “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,” “Saturday Night Live,” "The Biggest Loser," "Celebrity Apprentice" and “The Office” as well as the new “The Jay Leno Show” which Ben championed that directly addresses the challenges facing broadcast TV with a topical DVR-proof show.
Prior to NBC Universal, Silverman, in March 2002, launched Reveille, a production and distribution company focusing on exploiting worldwide intellectual property rights through scripted and alternative television formats. The company leveraged Ben’s relationships with the world’s top broadcasters and producers to acquire, produce and distribute entertainment programming across all television genres. He made Reveille the world leader in creating integrated marketing opportunities for advertisers and developing alternative financing paradigms for the television business.
In 2003, he redefined advertiser-supplied programming by joining with Interpublic Group to produce “The Restaurant,” and Bravo’s “Blow Out,” with both shows fully financed by context-relevant advertisers.
Previously, Silverman was in charge of the international packaging division at the William Morris Agency (WMA), where he was the company’s youngest division head, packaging more than 25 television series that encompassed over 500 produced episodes, including “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,” “The Weakest Link,” “Big Brother,” and “Queer as Folk.” He also led WMA'sNew York consulting branch, representing brand names such as Maxim, InStyle, eBay and Anheuser-Busch, and focused on extending those brands into alternative and traditional media outlets.
Prior to William Morris, Silverman was vice president for New World/Marvel Entertainment, where he developed sitcoms and envisioned live-action projects for film and television. Previously, he also held posts at CBS and Warner Bros.
Silverman graduated magna cum laude fromTuftsUniversity with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history, and is involved with multiple philanthropic endeavors, including Seeds of Peace, a group helping to foster peace among young people from adversarial cultures.
In addition, Silverman sits on theCedars-SinaiHospitalboard of governors. Silverman also serves on the board of directors of Best Buddies, a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of people with intellectual disabilities by providing guidance and integrated employment. In December 2008, People magazine selected him in its sexiest entertainment executive under “Sexy A-Z.”
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