Publicityveteran Maxine Leonard has joined Myriad Pictures to head up its marketing andPR operations in Los Angeles. As executive vice president, marketing andpublicity, Leonard will oversee the company's communication strategy in allareas as well as handle the international marketing and publicity campaigns forthe company's production and acquisitions. She reports to company presidentKirk D'Amico.

Leonardjoins Myriad after seven years at Denmead Marketing, the LA-based internationalpublicity outfit where since 1999 she has been senior vice president. AtDenmead, she handled the worldwide corporate and international publicityoperations for clients including Myriad, Initial Entertainment Group (IEG),Senator International and Lions Gate Films International. She worked oninternational PR campaigns for films including Traffic, Secretary, The GoodGirl and NationalLampoon's Van Wilder Party Liaison.

Leonardwill work on unit and release marketing and publicity on upcoming Myriad filmsincluding Imagining Argentina starring Antonio Banderas and Emma Thompson, Eulogy with Ray Romano and Winona Ryderand Bill Condon's Kinsey starring Liam Neeson.

"We have worked very well with Maxine over the yearsand have seen how she has successfully handled not only our activity but alsothat of her other clients at Denmead," said D'Amico in a statement. "We feelvery lucky to have her on board and know that she will embrace the challenge ofher new role with her characteristic charm and enthusiasm."

"Havingworked with the team at Myriad for the last few years, I have seen them go fromstrength to strength to become one of the leading production and distributioncompanies in the business today," added Leonard. "I couldn't behappier to join them at this exciting time and look forward to extending myexperience still further with this new challenge that promises to be a goldendevelopment opportunity."