Management Team

Cinedigm’s Executive Team brings the highest degree of experience and leadership to the company with a proven record of accomplishment, performance, technical expertise and industry experience.

CORPORATE OFFICERS

Chris McGurk
Chairman of the Board and
Chief Executive Officer
Cinedigm

Gary S. Loffredo
SVP General Counsel, Secretary,
Cinedigm

Adam M. Mizel
CFO and Chief Strategy Officer,
Cinedigm

B. Scott Cassell
SVP Technology
Cinedigm


DIVISION HEADS

John Brownson
President
UniqueScreen Media, a Cinedigm Company

Jonathan Dern
President
Cinedigm Content and Entertainment Group

Chuck Goldwater
President
Cinedigm Media Services Group

Gerd A. Jakuszeit
President
Cinedigm Digital Media Services Division

Jim Miller
President
Cinedigm Software Division






Chris McGurk, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer
Cinedigm
cmcgurk@cinedigm.com

In January 2011, Chris McGurk was named Chief Executive Officer of Cinedigm and was elected Chairman of the Company’s Board of Directors.
 
Mr. McGurk, 53, has had a long and successful career in the film and television industry. Mr. McGurk was the founder and CEO of Overture Films from 2006 until 2010 and was also CEO of Anchor Bay Entertainment, which distributed Overture Films’ product to the home entertainment industry. From 1999 to 2005, McGurk was Vice Chairman of the Board and Chief Operating Officer of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. (“MGM”), acting as the company’s lead operating executive until MGM was sold for approximately $5 billion to a consortium of investors.  McGurk joined MGM from Universal Pictures, where he served in various executive capacities, including President and Chief Operating Officer, from 1996 to 1999.  From 1988 to 1996, McGurk served in several senior executive roles at The Walt Disney Studios, including Studios CFO and President of The Walt Disney Motion Picture Group. McGurk currently serves as a director of BRE Properties, Inc. and has previously served on the boards of DivX Inc., DIC Entertainment, Pricegrabber.com, LLC and MGM Studios, Inc.

Gary S. Loffredo, Interim Co-CEO, SVP General Counsel, Secretary,
Cinedigm
gloffredo@cinedigm.com

Gary S. Loffredo became Interim Co-CEO (with Adam Mizel) in June 2009, in addition to his roles as Cinedigm’s Senior Vice President – Business Affairs, General Counsel, Secretary and a director. He also serves as secretary of AccessDM and Hollywood Software. From March 1999 to August 2000, he had been Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Cablevision Cinemas, LLC. At Cablevision Cinemas, Mr. Loffredo was responsible for all aspects of the legal function, including negotiating and drafting commercial agreements with emphases on real estate, construction and lease contracts. He was also significantly involved in the business evaluation of Cablevision Cinemas' transactional work, including site selection and analysis, negotiation and new theatre construction oversight. Prior to his employment at Cablevision Cinemas, Mr. Loffredo was an attorney at the law firm of Kelley, Drye & Warren, LLP, from September 1992 to February 1999.




Adam M. Mizel, Interim Co-CEO, CFO and Chief Strategy Officer,
Cinedigm
amizel@cinedigm.com

Adam Mizel became Interim Co-CEO (with Gary Loffredo) in June 2009, in addition to his roles as CFO and Chief Strategy. Since September 2005, Mr. Mizel has been the Managing Principal of the General Partner of the Aquifer Opportunity Fund, L.P., an investment fund that takes a private equity approach to investing in small capitalization public companies.  Mr. Mizel previously was Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of Azimuth Trust, LLC., an alternative asset management firm from 2001 until 2005.  Earlier, Mr. Mizel was a partner at Capital Z Partners, L.P., a private equity and alternative investment firm, and Managing Director at Zurich Centre Investments, Inc., the North American private equity unit of Zurich Financial Services Group.  Mr. Mizel began his investment career at Morgan Stanley Capital Partners in 1991.

B. Scott Cassell, SVP Technology,
Cinedigm
bscott@cinedigm.com

B. Scott Cassell was named Cinedigm’s SVP of Technology in September 2010.  He joined the company’s Digital Media Services Division in 2004 and has performed the duties of CTO, VP of Operations and Technology,  VP of Technical Operations,  and  Director of Operations and Engineering as well as Technical Producer for Cinedigm’s many CineLive events.  Prior to working for Cinedigm, Mr. Cassell was the Director of Operations and Engineering for FiberSat Global Services in 2004 and Director of Technical Operations with McKibben Communications in 2001.  Before that, Mr. Cassell held the position of Senior Manager at Best Buy Technical Services in 1998, and Head of Research and Development at Wain Industries in 1996.  

Mr. Cassell possesses significant experience in the satellite and terrestrial communications technologies used to transport file-based video and data, broadcast live standard and high definition video, and digitally secure and encrypt those transmissions for use in television and cinema applications. He currently serves as a member of the Department of Homeland Security, an Assistant District Staff Officer of Computer Services, a Certified Instructor in the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, and is an FCC Licensed Satellite Teleport Engineer. He is a member of Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) and the Society of Satellite Professionals International (SSPI).

John Brownson, President,
UniqueScreen Media, a Cinedigm Company
jbrownson@cinedigm.com

John B. Brownson assumed the role of President in July of 2010, prior to which he was SVP – Finance and Administration and held responsibilities for finance and accounting matters of all CIDM business units.  He had been the Senior Vice President and the Chief Financial Officer of UniqueScreen Media since October 2002. Prior to USM he served as Chief Financial Officer and/or Chief Operating Officer of various large and small companies including Herberger’s Department Stores, a $300 million multi–state department store retailer, Highland Superstores, Inc., a near-billion dollar national electronics superstore chain, Divisional Vice President of a unit of the former Allied Stores Corporation and St. Cloud Truck Sales, Inc., a 30 million dollar Freightliner dealership.  John, a CPA, began his career with Touche Ross & Co. (now Deloitte Touche), and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in accounting from the University of North Dakota.

John has served in numerous volunteer and civic capacities, including Chair of the Central Minnesota Community Foundation, the St. Cloud Area United Way, The St. Cloud Area YMCA, Oak Hill Community School Site Management Council, and the Mayor’s committee for the restoration of the Paramount Theater.  He has also served as an officer and/or in paid consulting roles for KKJM “Spirit 93” radio station, the YMCA and GiftHero.com, a startup internet company.



Jonathan Dern, President,
Cinedigm Content and Entertainment Group
jdern@cinedigm.com

Mr. Dern is the President and co-founder of Cinedigm’s Content and Entertainment Group, the world leader in digital theatrical distribution of targeted entertainment. Cinedigm’s Content and Entertainment Group is the exclusive provider of LIVE 3D, digital, in-theatre events through their CineLive™ program and in the last 18 months have produced (with Dern as Executive Producer) and distributed a variety of LIVE and RECORDED 3D sports events including LIVE 3D BCS College Championship Game 2009, LIVE 3D NBA All Star Saturday Night 2009, Dave Matthews Band 3D feature, Phish 3D feature, Bob the Builder 4D (at LegoLand) and the recent LIVE 3D NCAA Final Four 2010.  Additionally, Cinedigm has recorded over 80 hours of 3D concert footage from: Mile High Festival, All Points West, Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, as well as the recent WE ARE THE WORLD 25th anniversary/Relief for Haiti.   Dern is one of the VERY FIRST Award winners in the 3D arena, having gotten the 2009 Global Media Award For Advancing 3D Content and Distribution (Presented by The National Academy Of Television Arts and Sciences).

Chuck Goldwater, President,
Cinedigm Media Services Group
cgoldwater@cinedigm.com

Chuck Goldwater joined Cinedigm in August 2005, and in July 2006 was named President of Cinedigm's Media Services Group, which comprises Cinedigm’s deployment and digital cinema servicing units. Previously, he was Chief Executive Officer of Digital Cinema Initiatives, LLC (DCI), a joint venture of the seven major film studios (Disney, Fox, MGM, Paramount, Sony Pictures, Universal, Warner Bros. Studios). Prior to DCI, his 30-year career focused primarily on the exhibition side of the film industry, starting as an usher in a movie theatre while a film student in college. Mr. Goldwater has held senior management positions with USA Cinemas and National Amusements in Boston, and with Loews Theatres in New York. He was President/CEO of Mann Theatres in Los Angeles, and President of Clearview Cinemas in New York. He was also president/CEO of Iwerks Entertainment in Burbank, CA. Mr. Goldwater served as Chairman of the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) CARA/Product Committee dealing with the film studios on various issues, and as a member NATO’s Executive Committee. He has been active in a number of industry charity organizations throughout his career.

Gerd A. Jakuszeit, President,
Cinedigm Digital Media Services Division
gjakuszeit@cinedigm.com

Gerd Jakuszeit joined Cinedigm in May 2004 as Director of Operations for the Digital Media Services Division, and was named Sr. Vice President and General Manager in December 2006. Mr. Jakuszeit has an extensive background in Theatre Operations and Digital Cinema. He has held senior management positions with National Theatres in Ohio, R/C Theatres in Maryland and Technicolor Digital Cinema in Burbank. For over 20 years, he has served on the Board of Directors for numerous state and regional trade associations. Mr. Jakuszeit has also been active in numerous industry and community service and charitable organizations, including having served as President of the Exchange Club of Cleveland.



Jim Miller, President, COO,
Cinedigm Software Division
jimm@cinedigm.com

Jim Miller, president and chief operating officer of the Cinedigm Software Division, had previously served as the chief financial officer of Hollywood Software since 2000. Prior to that, he was Vice President and Corporate Controller at Viacom’s publicly held Spelling Entertainment Group, where he was responsible for Financial Planning, Accounting, Public Reporting, MIS and Business Operations for the many entertainment businesses in their portfolio. Prior to Spelling, Jim was interim CFO at Silver King Broadcasting Unit following its acquisition of Savoy Pictures, where he was also the Vice President and Corporate Controller for three years. Savoy Pictures was a publicly traded, start-up film and television production and distribution company with interests in broadcasting. Jim is a Certified Public Accountant who began his career in the entertainment practice of KPMG Peat Marwick, after which he spent 5 years in Finance and Planning at The Walt Disney Studios.