Adrian Sexton

Adrian Sexton serves as Chief Operating Officer, Endemol Beyond USA, since September 2014.

He oversees strategic partnerships and investments, business development, strategy, sales and distribution opportunities for Endemol Beyond USA’s premium content network.

Sexton and the Endemol Beyond team recently oversaw the launch of ICON, the first worldwide premium lifestyle network. ICON, which is led creatively by digital pioneer and entrepreneur Michelle Phan, launched simultaneously in the U.S. and UK in March 2015. ICON is the new global destination for the empowerment of viewers through inspiration, premium lifestyle content and conversation.

Endemol Beyond USA is a leading provider of premium content available across more than 20 platforms including YouTube, Yahoo and AOL and produces and distributes premium-quality online content starring influential talent such as Pitbull, Brittany Furlan, Drea De Matteo and Andy Milonakis across lifestyle, comedy, reality and music-themed digital networks.

Previously, Sexton was Chief Digital Officer at New Medici, a media strategy, business development and social engagement agency working with entertainment media companies, technology/consumer brands and startups. New Medici bridges Hollywood and Silicon Valley companies and individuals, modeling new digital and social businesses, social media and marketing strategies; clients have included Sony Pictures, WPP, Universal Pictures/Comcast, Groupon, 20th Century Fox, the Producers Guild of America, the CBC and the Australian Government.

Sexton was Chief Developer Officer and Chief Evangelist at Dynamics, an advanced payments technology company backed by Bain Capital Ventures’ highest Series B ($35M) funding to date. He managed new market and business development, entertainment content partnerships and consumer evangelism for the data-driven startup, working with movie studios, music labels, theatrical exhibitors, talent agencies, charities, game publishers and global lifestyle brands.

As former digital head of two media companies, Lionsgate and Participant Media and founder of two media strategy and marketing agencies, Sexton has a hybrid background in strategic marketing and business development. He brings a quantitative approach to market development in mobile, web and social balanced with operational experience managing large internal and external teams with 8-figure annual digital revenues.

Before New Medici, Sexton was Executive Vice President, Digital at Jeff Skoll’s Participant Media. He managed the company’s expansion into global media, digital marketing and distribution, while architecting TakePart.com, its venture-backed cause marketing social action network™. Sexton was a member of the Executive Committee, M&A and Social Action senior teams, involving film greenlights and investments including the Summit Entertainment financing (later acquired by Lionsgate for $412.5M) and $250M Abu Dhabi co-financing deals. Sexton worked on The Kite Runner, Fast Food Nation and the Academy Award®-winning documentaries An Inconvenient Truth and The Cove.

Sexton was hired by Participant from TAG Strategic, a digital media and entertainment agency he co-founded with EMI’s top digital executive. TAG’s diverse client roster has included Lionsgate, Qualcomm, Sandisk, Gibson, Muze and LivePlanet.

Before forming TAG, Sexton headed Digital Media as Vice President at Lionsgate Entertainment under CEO Jon Feltheimer, where he oversaw the day-to-day digital marketing for theatrical, home entertainment, television, international and operations, including content production, media planning and early social. He oversaw the digital campaigns for such movies as the Best Picture Academy Award-winning Crash, Oscar-winning Monster’s Ball, Fahrenheit 9/11, as well as the SAW and Tyler Perry franchises.

Sexton identified multiple-platform marketing, distribution and sales opportunities for Lionsgate’s 8000+ title film library in such high-growth markets as broadband, mobile, digital cinema, peer-to-peer and IPTV. He structured innovative strategic marketing partnerships with BMW Films, Starbucks, Activision, Microsoft and Google. Lionsgate’s market capitalization rose from $60 million to $1.2 billion during Sexton’s tenure; and he was part of the senior team which secured the $350 million credit facility to acquire Artisan Entertainment.

Prior to Lionsgate, Sexton was the New Media Director at Mediapact Capital, a $500 million media management and investment capital firm which invested in and took control of Lionsgate. His professional experience includes production work in television at Sony Pictures Entertainment, development work at HBO Pictures, 20th Century Fox and Saban.

A frequent media presenter, Sexton delivered the inaugural Opening Forum keynote at the 60th Anniversary of the Cannes Film Festival, keynotes at the X|Media|Lab conference in Auckland and Amsterdam, as well as keynotes at Digital Hollywood in Los Angeles, Intel’s Viiv launch in Tokyo and Forrester’s research conference in São Paulo. Sexton won a Clio for interactive marketing at Lionsgate, was named a “Backstage Digital All-Star” by the Screen Actors Guild, and a British Airways / Harvard Business Review “Face of Opportunity” entrepreneurialism award. Additionally, he is a member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and Producers Guild of America.