EXCLUSIVE: Sony Pictures Television is saying goodbye to long-serving international production operations boss Richard Parsons.
We hear the exec has chosen to step down after 12 years, with a source close to SPT saying the parting is “entirely amicable.” He will remain at Sony’s London based until the end of August.
Parsons had joined Sony in 2011 as Senior VP for Corporate Business and Legal Affairs, International Production and was promoted to an Executive VP of Operations position within the same team in 2018. His role will not be replaced.
He currently oversees all operational and commercial matters relating to SPT’s portfolio of production companies, which includes companies such as His Dark Materials maker Bad Wolf, The Crown producer Left Bank Pictures, Sex Education firm Eleven, Blueprint Television, Fable Pictures, Eleventh Hour Films, and on the non-scripted side, Stellify Media and Whisper.
He is also responsible for assessing new deals including acquisitions, investments and first-look deals.
He sat on the board of several SPT indies but is also stepping down from these. There won’t be any further impact on Sony’s suite of production companies as a result, we hear.
Prior to Sony he worked at indie advisor Wiggin LLC, Shine Group and BBC Worldwide (now BBC Studios), working to establish joint ventures and production companies in the UK, France, Germany, Argentina, Canada, India, Russia and Australia at the latter.
Sony declined to comment.