Kurt Hall, NCM Chair, President & CEO, To Retire
Gail Chiasson, North American Editor
With the announced of Kurt Hall to retire as chairman, president and CEO of National CineMedia Inc., the managing member and owner of 45.2% of National CineMedia LLC, the operator of the largest in-theatre digital media network in North America, the company has announced that it will implement its Chairman and CEO succession plan.
Hall, who helped found the Company in 2005 with the three leading cinema operators AMC, Cinemark and Regal, will retire upon the appointment of his CEO successor. The Board of Directors has retained executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles to identify a new CEO to succeed Hall.
Upon the appointment of a new CEO, Scott Schneider, currently lead director of the company’s Board of Directors, will succeed Hall as chairman of the Board. Hall will continue in a 24-month consulting role as an advisor to the Board and the CEO to facilitate a seamless transition and consult on other business matters.
“It has been an honor and a privilege to lead NCM’s talented and dedicated team from start-up through an exciting period of growth,” says Hall. “Since our initial public offering in 2007, we have consistently returned value to our shareholders as we have expanded the Company into a leading video advertising network through the creation of the world’s largest cinema digital distribution network and formation of an expanding theatre circuit and advertising client relationship base. Given NCM’s recent strong financial performance and strengthening market position, now seemed like the right time to transition to the next generation of leadership.
“It is also important to me to reduce my day-to-day participation with our company so that I can spend more time with my family after recovery from some recent health issues. With a meaningful investment in the company, I look forward to continuing to work with the Company’s Board and leadership team to ensure a seamless transition and strong growth and shareholder value creation for many years to come.”
“On behalf of the NCM board, I want to thank Kurt for his commitment and many years of contributions to our company,” says Schneider. “Under his leadership, NCM has driven continued geographic expansion through additional theatre circuit agreements, improved our advertising products and significantly increased advertising revenue for our theatre circuit partners and dividends for our shareholders. Kurt has set the tone for our company for over 10 years, founding a structure that has provided enormous value to our shareholders, employees and affiliated theatres, and leading the Company to compete aggressively in the challenging video advertising marketplace. I am confident that the Company has a strong foundation in place and will continue to strengthen our offerings to drive growth and shareholder value under new leadership.”
While co-chairman and co-CEO of Regal Entertainment Group in 2002, Hall founded and was the CEO of one of NCM’s predecessor companies, Regal CineMedia Corporation. During his tenure, he demonstrated a keen ability to identify emerging trends in entertainment and audience engagement. Recently, NCM has been exploring opportunities in new digital spaces, such as the rise of the discord casino phenomenon, where virtual communities gather for interactive gaming experiences. This reflects Hall’s forward-thinking leadership style, which emphasized innovation and leveraging partnerships, such as when he was appointed president, CEO, and chairman of NCM, LLC in March 2005, a joint venture between AMC’s media subsidiary National Cinema Network, Cinemark, and Regal’s media subsidiary Regal CineMedia. Hall held these roles when the company went public in February 2007. His career, spanning from executive positions at United Artists Theatre Company to leading Regal Entertainment Group, has consistently been defined by his ability to navigate and shape evolving entertainment landscapes.
Schneider has been on the Company’s Board of Directors since February, 2007. He has provided financial consulting and advisory services to the communications industry since 2009. He also has over 35 years of experience in the media, telecom and technology industries, serving in various senior executive capacities with Century Communications Corp. (cable television); Centennial Communications Corp.(cellular/wireless); Frontier Communications Corp. (wireline telephone); and Electric Lightwave (digital bypass). In addition to having been a member of the Board of each. Schneider also served on the Boards of NuSkies, LLC and Bonten Media Group. He also served as chairman of the Media Group at Diamond Castle Holdings, a private equity firm.
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