Lisa Squillace has been appointed head of GroupM Motion Entertainment for Australia and New Zealand.
Squillace, who joins the company from Network Ten Paramount, will head up the media investment group’s Motion Entertainment division. She will be tasked with co-developing, co-producing, distributing premium content, and delivering bespoke brand opportunities.
GroupM Motion Entertainment is GroupM’s global entertainment division, headquartered in London and Los Angeles, and operating in over 35 countries worldwide. It has co-produced more than 2,100+ TV series and films in partnership with world’s leading talent, networks, and platforms.
Motion’s name appears alongside respected executive producers, including Morgan Freeman, Bradley Cooper, and Kevin Hart. Award-winning programming in the GroupM portfolio ranges from ITV’s Love Island and Netflix’s The Circle, to films, documentaries, and specials like Variety’s Power of Women, as well as live music and streaming events.
The introduction of GroupM Motion Entertainment provides a clear pathway for media partners, creatives, executive producers and brands in Australia to work more closely to deliver premium content for local audiences and provide an injection of capital into Australian productions, supporting the Australian entertainment industry.
As head of GroupM Motion Entertainment for Australia and New Zealand, Squillace will lead the launch of the business unit, working closely with agencies Mindshare, Wavemaker and EssenceMediacom to unearth opportunities and create unique long-term entertainment partnerships for GroupM clients. She will report to Melissa Hey, chief investment officer at GroupM.
Lisa Squillace and Melissa Hey
Squillace, who was most recently national sales director at Network Ten Paramount, has over 20 years of experience in media and entertainment, specialising in the development of new business models, commercial concepts and the implementation of multi-million-dollar brand investments in premium cross-platform content.
Her career spans Australia’s biggest broadcasters, including Seven, Nine and Network Ten Paramount where she built high-performing sales teams, launched digital channels, worked on sponsorships and commercial partnerships around top rating Aussie shows, has been chair of the Think TV board, and a recognised with trade media accolades..
Hey said of Squillace’s appointment: ”GroupM Motion Entertainment is our commitment to forging deeper, more meaningful connections between Australian consumers and our clients’ brands that go way beyond brand partnerships. Lisa’s expertise in entertainment and driving innovative partnerships makes her perfectly suited to lead the charge. She will work in collaboration with our agencies, as well as producers, networks, and publishers across Australia, to develop mutually beneficial partnerships that deliver premium entertainment experiences, ultimately driving brand growth.”
Squillace added of her new role: “Entertainment is a proven and successful way for our clients to connect with their consumers. We know that entertainment equals engagement, engagement equals attention and attention equals action. I’m thrilled to join GroupM to lead Motion Entertainment and unlock those opportunities for clients, help shape the future entertainment landscape and support local content production.”
GroupM Motion Entertainment will be operational in Australia and New Zealand in January 2025.
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Top image: Lisa Squillace