The studio leadership has abandoned its search for an executive to fill the void left by David Kosse and slotted London-based Duncan Clark into a jigsaw of executives who will fufil operational oversight.
Clark, the president of distribution at Universal Pictures International, will keep his job title and oversee theatrical operations from his base in London.
His expanded remit rounds out a core of three executives who will perform distribution, marketing and production roles that previously fell under Kosse’s purview.
Clark, described by chairman of Universal Filmed Entertainment Jeff Shell and chairman of Universal Pictures Donna Langley in an internal memo to staff as “a key contributor and strategist who provides enormous value to our company”, took on his title in June 2011.
Reporting to Shell, he will work closely with Peter Kujawski, the freshly minted managing director of Universal Pictures International Productions, and recently promoted president of worldwide marketing Josh Goldstine.
Shell and Langley explained in the memo that while they initially intended to find an Los Angeles-based successor to Kosse they realised after “internal changes and analysis” that Clark could perform an expanded role from his current based in London.
The decision on Clark, they said, achieved the “twin goals of securing the strongest possible international leaders and also being able to have more day-to-day interaction between those leaders and Universal’s executive team.”
Prior to Universal, Clark worked as a distribution consultant on War Of The Worlds, Munich and Casino Royale. He served 14 years at Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures from 1986-2000 and headed marketing and distribution at UIP/UK from 1980-86.
In April it emerged that Kosse was leaving his role as president of international. He was named the successor to Tessa Ross as head of Film4 in August.
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