Locksmith names C4 & Illumination alum as CEO, as Sarah Smith steps down

Natalie Fischer

Liz Murdoch-backed Locksmith Animation has rejigged its senior team, with Natalie Fischer appointed as CEO to replace the outgoing Sarah Smith.

Fischer is a former COO of Illumination Entertainment and has been a senior adviser at the company for the past four years, having previously worked at companies including Universal and UK broadcaster Channel 4.

Locksmith’s co-founder Julie Lockhart has been named president of production and will continue to lead all aspects of production and development, as well as partnering with Fischer at a strategic level.

Co-founder Smith, who writes and directs upcoming show Ron’s Gone Wrong, has stepped down from her role “to concentrate on developing her own creative projects”, Locksmith said.

Murdoch, who is chair & co-founder at Locksmith, said Fischer’s “proven track record of success in the animation industry and those instincts and insights combined with Julie Lockhart’s unsurpassed production expertise will guide a new era of growth at our studio.”