Illumination Taps Keith Feldman as COO (EXCLUSIVE)

By Brent Lang

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Keith Feldman has been named chief operating officer of Illumination, the animation powerhouse behind such hits as “Despicable Me” and “The Secret Life of Pets.” He joins after serving as president and general manager of worldwide home entertainment at 20th Century Fox.

In his new role, Feldman will serve as the key strategic partner and adviser to Illumination’s founder and CEO Chris Meledandri. He will also drive development and execution of long-term business strategies and significant growth initiatives and will lead all core business operations of the company including business development, finance and administration. Additionally, Feldman will serve as the primary liaison to the senior executive team at Universal Pictures, the studio that distributes all of Illumination’s movies.

“Keith’s successful background and wide-ranging global expertise coupled with his strong relationships and collaborative style position him perfectly for this leadership role,” said Meledandri.

“This is the opportunity of a lifetime and a dream come true,” said Feldman. “I am thrilled to support Chris Meledandri’s aspiration for creative and commercial excellence, ambition and innovation.”

Feldman spent the past 25 years at Fox. During his tenure there, he worked in business development, sales, marketing and regional/country manager positions, ultimately assuming the roles of president, international and president, distribution. At Fox, he pushed the company to embrace digital distribution.

Feldman began his career at E & J Gallo Winery, a major exporter of California wines. He earned his MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Kenan Flagler Business School and his BBA in Marketing from Stetson University in DeLand, Florida.