Paradigm beefs up ranks

Wagner hired as exec veep for business affairs

By MICHAEL FLEMING

Talent agency Paradigm has hired former Paramount exec Craig Wagner to be exec VP of business affairs and brought in Pattie Sueoka Lofton to run the agency's commercial and musicvideo production department.

Paradigm also has minted five new agents: Josh Levenbrown, an assistant in the below-the-line and reality department who becomes an agent in the reality department; Rich Hueners, an assistant who becomes an agent in the talent department; Melissa Karp, Paradigm's TV lit coordinator who rises to agent in the TV lit department; Reina King, an assistant who ascends to agent in the talent department; and Mike Woodlief, a junior agent at the Jim Preminger Agency, who has been hired as a TV lit agent.

Paradigm prexy-CEO Sam Gores beefs up his existing roster of 67 L.A.-based agents as Paradigm continues to absorb its recent acquisitions of Genesis, Writers & Artists and Monterey Peninsula Artists.

Monterey Peninsula, a music booking agency, represents artists including Travis Tritt, Angie Stone and the Black-Eyed Peas, who are now working with other departments at the agency as they transition toward TV and film opportunities.

That transition process is being overseen by Jack Kingsrud, who became a Paradigm agent several months ago.

Exec veep Wagner joins Paradigm after a 12-year run at Par, most recently as senior veep of business affairs. Wagner began as an attorney in home entertainment, later heading Par's network television business affairs department.

Lofton, who began at commercial production house Tool of North America, most recently served as one of three commercial production agents for the Skouras Agency. At Paradigm, she'll run the commercial and musicvideo production department and continue to rep cinematographers and production designers.