The Client Prudential is a 50,000 employee diversified U.S. based global financial conglomerate operating in the United States, Asia, Europe and South America with an internal global television network, internal advertising agency and corporate communication facilities to include: Production, Post-Production, Terrestrial Distribution, Advertising, Corporate Communications, Public Relations and Remote Sales Training & HR Employee Professional Development.
Client Situation The Senior Vice President of Global Corporate Communications identified Filcro Media Staffing through their contacts at a Major TV Network as well as having knowledge of a completed search for a senior most Executive Producer at a competing global financial services company. The firm was seeking a honed change agent who could tactically and strategically transform the firm’s corporate communications environment into a world class producer of media to serve a broad international constituency of internal and external clients.
Industry and Sector inclusion for universe compilation
Television Broadcasting
Advertising
On-Air Promotion - Agency, Network & Production Houses
Production and Post Production - All Industries
Terrestrial Distribution - Corporate & TV Network
Public Relations - Specific to Industry
Corporate Communications - Internal & External
Advertising, Marketing, HR and Training within the Financial Industries
Filcro Media Staffing is retained
The Filcro Media Staffing Officer in Charge of Search Tony Filson was asked to commence a national search and establish a search document to identify a VP with the capacity to lead and develop the global communication interests of one of the world's largest financial organizations on a creative and technical level. The implementation of change management, best practices, advanced distribution and creative issues across all business lines was to be augmented through the recruitment of a new Vice President by Filcro Media Staffing.
Filcro Media Staffing was provided with O&D charting and succession plans for all global communications divisions of the parent company. Clear definitions were established with HR and sensitive internal areas of concern with regard to succession planning were addressed from the onset. Filcro Media Staffing had a cultural understanding of the firm through prior identification in the financial services industry and understood the sensitivities of inserting a new VP from the broadcasting industry accustomed to functioning with broad autonomy on business and creative levels.
The diversity of the operating divisions of the company posed little difficulty based on a “common” creative need globally. Filcro Media Staffing established a hierarchy of desired skill sets and industry experience to proceed with universe compilation and tiering. Filcro Media Staffing reported directly to the hiring manager and was given unusual assistance through human resources to obtain detailed skill and career level assessments of the immediate reporting line. This helped enormously in determining the type of mentor and the history of mentoring we would seeking, in the new executive.
Due to the autonomy that each operating group of the company enjoyed and the diverse creative needs of the constituency it would be a challenge to identify an executive who could retool creative infrastructure while maintaining production schedules of copious amounts of daily-produced live shows, taped shows, training materials, advertising and corporate communication materials for off and on-air while maintaining global distribution of a respected 24/7 internal global TV Network.
Challenges facing the new Vice President of Corporate Communications
Change Management
Creative Development
Systems & Employee Development
Enhancement and Ease of Global Network Usage
Enhanced Production & Post Standards Across Varied Lines of Business
Budget Controls
Studio Resource - Best Practices
Internal Advertising Agency Optimization - Creative & Production
Synergy with External Advertising Agency Resources
The Filcro Media Staffing Recruitment Solution
Filcro Media Staffing proceeded to Identify the "best in industry" corporate communications, broadcast operations, on-air-promo and executive producer level employees from (3) three different industries.
Our objective was to recruit from environments that where decentralized and less myopic then most. This person had to have had control of global resources on the creative and technical side as well as hands-on experience with formulation and implementation of creative concepts to produce high-end finished products of varied lengths. This mix of development and production would be essential.
An executive capable of producing live, live to tape and industrial materials for on and off-air product was essential. More effective policies needed to be put in place to “improve” the creative process and the associated workflow. With so many different requests coming in from such a diverse client base, a new look of on and off-air was needed to stimulate business, marketing, sales and public relations usage to make this division a more vital and called upon business partner.
We needed to recruit an executive experienced with TV development and programming issues of a prolific network with copious original programming, on-air promo or an advertising executive accustomed to heavy production schedules. An executive who would be happy growing in a corporate environment with a vastly different culture from a Network TV or advertising agency, would be essential.
This executive search had more to do with perceived vs. actual creative autonomy and Filcro Media Staffing established consensus about the autonomy level from the onset to assure that this person would remain with the firm for many years to come. The creative autonomy being granted was real.
The training of staff on production/post technical and creative levels was also essential and we needed an executive who understood the “complete” production, development and technical operations process. Our initial overview of the O&D charts led us to believe that the firm could save substantial resources through adoption of a complete production and post workflow process as soon as possible. 1st, 2nd and 3rd generation equipment spread out in many different studios was causing continuity issues that were unnecessary for production and post-production to experience. A better suited CMS also needed to be established along with normalization of the content itself.
The SVP of Human Resources was receptive to our approach and gave Filcro Media Staffing welcomed autonomy during the executive search process to determine the skill sets and experience required to bring the firm’s business objectives to fruition.
The Vice President of Corporate Communications and Marketing Recruited
The gifted media executive we recruited was a noted Vice President of Advertising, On-Air Promotion & Production from Florida, who was responsible for the on-air look, design and team management of a major cable TV network, in over 100 million households. This Network Vice President supervised three of the six production divisions of the Cable TV Network: On-Air Advertising and Promotion, Broadcast Design (Graphic and Animation), and Studio Production / Post Production and managed a highly respected staff of Network creative directors, writers, executive producers, directors, scenic designers, composers, promo schedulers, art directors, computer and animation artists, lighting directors, camera operators and more.
The Process
Results
At one of the world's largest advertising agencies his departments were accountable for the creation and production of more than 3000 commercials, On-Air & Cross Channel Promos, and TV productions annually. They also produced work aired on or for many TV Networks, Motion Picture Studios and major players in the entertainment and electronic commerce industries.
Prior to the above, the executive was VP of Creative Services & Production and managed the day-to-day business and creative direction of an advertising / creative services agency. He was responsible for the development and production of the daily On-Air Promos for multiple shows, themes and weekly music for ABC-TV’s situation comedies and branding co-production and partners in the launch and ongoing image of Network News, Sports and managing the national advertising campaigns of multiple clients.
This executive also received recognition from the industry with numerous awards as: ITA Platinum Award / Executive Producer • People Magazine and Video Review magazine Top Ten Video Picks • Clio Award for Advertising Excellence (Writer - Producer - Director) • Peabody Awards Archives (Co-Writer - Director) • Smithsonian Institution Archives (Writer - Director - Producer) • International Film and Television Festival Award (Executive Producer) 2 Grand, 2 Gold, 5 Silver, 4 Bronze • International Alliance of Business Communicators Award (Executive Producer) 1 Grand, 1 Gold • International Television Association (various) • Chicago Film Festival (Writer - Producer) • Ann Arbor Film Festival (Writer) • Telly Awards (various) • Editorial Advisory Board • Listed in the Who's Who In America and the Who’s Who In The East • Published in: The Hollywood Reporter, Journal of Broadcasting, Backstage, Variety, Advertising Age • Guest speaker and panelist at various industry conferences, colleges and universities. He was well suited to attract exceptional talent and represent the firm to the industry.
This executive and his family were relocated from Florida to New Jersey and made a smooth transition. This executive has met the objectives of the global financial conglomerate and is recognized as a respected leader in his field. He has expressed longevity and excellence.
