Kosse back at U
Exec to unify studio's int'l business structure
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Former Universal exec David Kosse is expected to return to the U fold soon as president of international marketing and distribution, based in London.
His arrival will unify the studio's international business structure for the first time since Universal took over Polygram Filmed Entertainment in 2000.
Kosse, who is managing director of the U.K.'s Momentum Pictures, will take up the newly created post in October and report to U vice chairman of marketing Marc Shmuger.
Universal's international responsibilities are currently split between Randy Greenberg, senior VP of international marketing and distribution in Los Angeles, and David Livingstone, president of marketing for Universal Pictures Intl. (the former Polygram Filmed Entertainment) in London.
Greenberg and his L.A. team will report to Kosse.
The future of Livingstone, who focuses primarily on movies from Working Title, is unresolved. He is understood to have been offered a new post as WT's inhouse head of worldwide marketing and distribution, but it's unclear whether he will accept.
Mixed record
Ironically, WT's movies have been the brightest patch in the international performance of U's slate, which has been spotty of late.
Basing Kosse in London will enable U to manage much more closely its relationship with United Intl. Pictures, the studio's foreign distribution partnership with Paramount, which is also headquartered in London. Kosse is expected to have a seat on the UIP board.
Three years ago, Universal decided to stick with UIP when it had the option to go it alone with UPI.
After its acquisition of Polygram, U made advances toward building UPI into its sole international theatrical distributor. However, it decided to renew its ties with UIP.
Since then, UIP has hired Stewart Till to head its operations and Universal now has Kosse, his former right-hand man at Polygram, to run U's own international operations.
Worked at Momentum
Kosse is returning to Universal after 3½ years at Momentum, the British subsid of Canada's Alliance Atlantis.
He started out as a marketing exec at Polygram Video in New York before moving to London as head of international marketing for Polygram Filmed Entertainment. He then ran PFE's U.K. distribution arm, which came under the ownership of Universal when Seagram bought Polygram. At PFE he reported to Till. Kosse transformed the U.K. arm of Alliance Atlantis from a small arthouse player into one of the country's leading indies, gaining a reputation for making Brit hits out of films that attracted little interest in the States, such as "Rocky and Bullwinkle."
Momentum also scored big results with "Amelie," the highest-grossing French movie ever in Blighty, and "Bowling for Columbine," which broke box office records for a documentary.
The timing and terms of Kosse's exit from Momentum are still being negotiated.
