First Look Media Promotes Ian Stratford to COO

First Look Media, parent company of award-winning entertainment studio Topic Studios, has promoted Ian Stratford to chief operating officer.

As COO, Stratford will be responsible for leading operations, corporate development, finance and business and legal affairs for First Look Media’s portfolio of assets across entertainment and non-profit industries.

“Over the past few years, we have strategically evolved the structure of First Look to position the company for continued growth in the changing media landscape. Ian has played a key role and will continue to do so in his expanded role,” said Michael Bloom, CEO of First Look Media and Topic Studios. “In our company’s new phase, we’ll do even more to support artists making career-defining projects that tell boldly original stories that don’t just reflect culture but define it.” 

“I am honored to take on this new role and excited about the opportunities that lie ahead for First Look Media, Topic Studios, and the company at large,” said Stratford. “As the film, television, and podcast industries continue to evolve, we are well-positioned to be adaptable and opportunistic in the projects we make, the businesses we build, and the partners we support. I look forward to the continued work with our amazing team to achieve our ambitious goals.”

First Look Media’s asset portfolio is led by Topic Studios, the film, television and podcast studio that has produced over 35 film and television projects earning eight Academy Award nominations (two wins), six Golden Globe nominations (one win), and nine Emmy nominations (two wins).

The studio is behind critically acclaimed films such as Jesse Eisenberg’s upcoming “A Real Pain,” out Nov. 1 via Searchlight Pictures and starring Kieran Culkin and Eisenberg. Additionally, First Look Media holds strategic investments in specialty streaming services MHz Choice and PassionFlix and operates First Look Institute, a non-profit organization that supports Field of Vision, The Intercept, Lawyers for Reporters and The Press Freedom Initiative at the University of Maryland.  

Stratford, who has been with First Look for over three years, previously served as Chief Legal Officer and Head of Business & Legal Affairs. Prior to joining the company, Stratford spent four years at Endeavor, where he was a founding member of Endeavor Content and part of the leadership team that built the studio to a $1 billion valuation and an eventual $785 million sale of its scripted television and motion picture assets to CJ ENM.

Before Endeavor, Stratford was a partner at Gray Krauss Stratford Sandler Des Rochers LLP where he served as a strategic advisor to various media companies and led the firm’s film and television finance practice.