Sander Schwartz resurfaces at kids social network

Former FremantleMedia Kids boss Sander Schwartz will run kids network Grom Social, after taking the role of president at the digital service.

Schwartz left FremantleMedia, where he was president of the Kids and Family Entertainment in late 2013 and was planning to launch his own prodco, as well as consulting for kids media companies.

At Grom, Schwartz will expand the social media site’s activities into new areas alongside company CEO Darren Marks, the father of Zach Marks, who created the site aged just 11.

The social network launched in 2012 and now has about 1.5 million registered members. It also offers a parents portal, giving a report on their kids activities on the site.

Prior to FremantleMedia, Schwartz was at Warner Bros. Animation. He said of his new post: “Zach Marks was eleven when he introduced his website a few short years ago. Now 15, he and his father Darren have built Grom Social into a one-of-a-kind online social networking and entertainment destination for kids and a serious advertising platform for consumer brands wanting to reach kids.”

Darren Marks added: “Sander is among an elite group of senior-level children’s media executives who have helped shape the kids media industry, and elevate content development and production to meet the educational and entertainment appetites of children worldwide.”