Bertram & Lombardo exit eOne following Lionsgate acquisition

The Rookie

Senior staff changes are underway at Entertainment One (eOne), following confirmation of its $500m sale to Lionsgate yesterday, with presidents Steve Bertram and Michael Lombardo departing and Olivier Dumont taking on a new position with former owner Hasbro.

Bertram, who is eOne’s president of film & TV, revealed his exit in a memo to staff after yesterday’s announcement that Hasbro had sold eOne to US studio Lionsgate.

“With the business transitioning to a new owner, the time is right for me to move on,” wrote Bertram, who revealed that he will remain with eOne for a short period to help with the transition process. Bertram first joined eOne as president of the global film group in 2014, before taking adding TV to his remit in a unified structure alongside John Morayniss in 2017.

Lombardo, eOne’s president of global TV, is meanwhile expected to leave the company following the close of the transaction later this year, according to Deadline, which first reported his exit. The former HBO exec was brought on by Bertram in 2020, after first serving as a consultant.

Hasbro Entertainment launch

Peppa Pig

When the transaction does close, Hasbro plans to launch a new division named Hasbro Entertainment, which will finance, develop and produce content based on its brands.

President of family brands Olivier Dumont has been tapped to head up Hasbro Entertainment when it launches, though his new title has yet to be announced.

Lionsgate has taken control of 6,500-hour content library, including shows such as Grey’s Anatomy, Criminal Minds and Designated Survivor, as well as the TV and film divisions that have been behind series like Yellowjackets, Naked & Afraid and The Rookie.

On the film side, eOne is behind features including The Woman King, The United States v Billie Holiday and 1917, with Lionsgate also picking up film development rights to Monopoly, based on the Hasbro board game, as part of the deal.

The acquisition, however, did not include some of eOne’s most significant pre-school brands, such as Peppa Pig and PJ Masks.