Cineverse reshuffles leadership, with Erick Opeka named president

Erick Opeka

LA-based distributor and channels operator Cineverse has reshuffled its senior leadership, with an expanded role for chief strategy officer Erick Opeka’s as president.

The firm, which recently rebranded from Cinedigm, said these changes have been made to position it for future growth as it seeks to create a “diverse, empowering, and immersive streaming experience.”

As president, Opeka will continue his CSO duties for Cineverse, leading on corporate strategy, strategic initiatives, and M&A efforts, and also overseeing its portfolio of more than two dozen SVOD, AVOD and FAST linear networks.

Recent acquisitions include a $16.4m deal for North American streaming, advertising and distribution firm Digital Media Rights last year.

Other moves as part of the reshuffle see Tony Huidor elevated to chief operating officer & chief technology officer. Huidor is credited as the driving force behind Cineverse’s Matchpoint technology platform, and in his expanded role, he will continue to oversee Cineverse’s tech operations, as well as consumer-facing product strategy.

Mark Torres has meanwhile been upped to chief people officer to oversee human resources, while senior execs remaming in place include Yolanda Macias as chief content officer; John Canning as the company’s chief financial officer; and Gary Loffredo, as chief legal officer, secretary and senior advisor.

“These promotions reflect Cineverse’s continued evolution from a digital cinema company to a global streaming and technology company at scale. With these changes, we have realigned our leadership to best drive the company forward as we focus on building one of the largest and most diverse libraries in the industry,” said Chris McGurk, chairman and CEO of Cineverse.

Cineverse operates more than 30 streaming services, with a content library boasting 46,000 films and television episodes. Its channels include Cineverse, Fandor, Bloody Disgusting TV and Screambox, home to horror titles such as Freddy’s Nightmares.