Dawn Olmstead (Courtesy of Anonymous Content)
Dawn Olmstead is leaving her perch at UCP to become chief executive officer and partner at Anonymous Content, marking the first new head of the company since the death of Anonymous founder Steve Golin in 2019. Meanwhile, David Levine has been elevated to chief creative officer of the management and production company.
“Dawn is an accomplished leader who will usher in a new and exciting chapter for Anonymous by focusing on powerful content and stories that speak to this moment,” said Laurene Powell Jobs, founder and president of Emerson Collective, the majority owner of Anonymous Content. “She is not only entrepreneurial, strategic, and a producer at heart, she also embodies the soul of Anonymous Content—original, ambitious, boundary-pushing.”
She called Olmstead a “champion of diverse storytellers and emerging voices” and believes the longtime TV exec “will build on the legacy of its beloved founder, our friend Steve Golin, while stewarding the company into a new era of exquisite storytelling.”
Olmstead, who was named president of UCP two years ago, oversaw a number of high-profile projects, including “The Umbrella Academy,” “The Act” and “Dirty John.” She also slated a number of series at NBCU streamer Peacock, including “Dr. Death,” and at other streamers, including Hulu’s “The Girl from Plainville” and “Candy.”
Olmstead’s relationship with Anonymous already spans years back from her time at NBCU working with the company on series ranging from “Homecoming” and “Mr. Robot” to the upcoming “Angelyne” and “Battlestar Galactica” reboot.
She will start at Anonymous toward the end of the year, according to a source familiar with the situation.
“I am absolutely honored to join Anonymous Content in building the premium home for visionary storytellers worldwide,” said Olmstead in a statement. “Steve Golin built a special place that cultivates emerging and established talent, a company that is a cultural leader, that values innovation and creative expression through all forms of entertainment, from branded content, film, and television, to acting, writing, directing and more. I had the privilege of working with Steve and more recently with David Levine and the rest of the incredible team at Anonymous Content. I have seen first-hand the impact of Steve’s fearless and soulful influence on this truly unique company that seamlessly integrates top-tier talent management with premium content creation. I look forward to all that our future holds for Anonymous, and I’m thrilled to help guide that journey.”
The move follows the September elevation of Pearlena Igbokwe to head of TV content for NBCUniversal as part of a broader leadership and organizational restructuring.
“Dawn’s pioneering spirit and keen eye for identifying fresh talent has been invaluable to the growth of the UCP brand. However, this is a wonderful opportunity for her, and we couldn’t be more supportive,” said Pearlena Igbokwe, chairman of Universal Studio Group.
Levine, who joined Anonymous in Feb. 2019 as president of TV, will now oversee all creative direction at the company and the growth of Anonymous’ premium film, branded and TV slates.
“David is a brilliant creative leader with impeccable taste and a fierce intellect,” said Powell Jobs. “Since joining the company, David has injected passion and purpose into the Anonymous slate, and during a challenging year—for Anonymous and us all—his energy has been a stabilizing, inspiring force.”
Variety's Elaine Low contributed to this post.
https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/dawn-olmstead-ucp-anonymous-content-ceo-1234821772/
