20th TV’s Jennifer Gwartz Joins UCP as Exec VP, Scott Nemes to Lead IP Acquisition
Veteran studio exec and producer Jennifer Gwartz, most recently at 20th Television, is joining UCP as executive vice president of the studio, which is a part of Universal Studio Group. Separately, Scott Nemes, who has been with UCP since 2019, has been named to the newly created role of exec VP of creative acquisitions at Universal Studio Group and International Development.
Both Gwartz and Nemes will report to Beatrice Springborn, the president of UCP and interim president of NBCUniversal International Studios. As part of the changes, UCP development head Garrett Kemble, who has been with the company for 13 years, will also report directly to Springborn.
More from Variety
Telemundo Launches Streaming Studio, NBCUniversal's First to Meet Growing Demands of Latino Viewers
Christopher Eccleston Leads Cast of BBC 'Oliver Twist' Inspired Series 'Dodger' - Global Bulletin
Procter & Gamble Wants Tokyo Olympics Ads to Inspire Big Crowds
“Bringing Jen’s diverse expertise to UCP and amplifying the roles for Scott, Garrett and David will allow us to further grow and invest in our content across Universal Studio Group,” said Springborn. “These executives are entrepreneurial, passionate and collaborative and I’m thrilled to partner with them as we get to create with the best of the best.”
Most recently exec VP of development at 20th TV, Gwartz will now shepherd operational workflows across UCP’s studio functions, including production, current and development. Her career has included stops at ABC Studios, Columbia Tri-Star Television, Silver Television and Lin Pictures, producing 17 pilots and 10 series including “Veronica Mars,” “Party Down,” “Lethal Weapon,” “Tales from the Crypt” and “Frequency.”
Nemes, meanwhile, will launch a division across Universal Studio Group businesses to acquire the rights to books, podcasts, news stories and other IP that align with talent deals at Universal Television, UCP, NBCUniversal International Studios and Universal Television Alternative Studio. His scope will also include the newly rebranded IP incubators UCP Audio and UCP Graphics. He was most recently exec VP of development and current programming, as well as packaged series such as the upcoming “Joe Exotic” featuring Kate McKinnon and John Cameron Mitchell.
“One of the goals of bringing all of our television content businesses under the Universal Studio Group umbrella was to create more pathways to success for our talent roster and open access to IP across all of our studios,” said Universal Studio Group chairman Pearlena Igbokwe. “I am confident that this new structure will help us accomplish that.”
Best of Variety
Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
