Twentieth Century Fox Chairman-CEO Jim Gianopulos has named veteran Chinese executive Sirena Liu to the newly created position of Managing Director, China.
Liu will be responsible for the studio’s activities in all media in China and report to Gianopulos. She will work directly with Co-Chairman Stacey Snider on Fox’s film productions in China under the Fox International Pictures banner, led by Tomas Jegeus.
Fox said Liu also will work closely under the guidance of the regional and global heads of Fox’s distribution units to coordinate all their activities in China. She will be based in the studio’s Beijing office and begin work on Oct. 5.
"China has long been an important focus for us and its phenomenal growth in recent years has led to many exciting new initiatives,” Gianopulos said. “With the hiring of Sirena we are looking to unify our business interests in China under a common vision and strategy, to enhance our relationships with local partners, government regulators and emerging platforms, and to identify and pursue new growth opportunities.”
Liu said in a statement: “I am absolutely thrilled about this opportunity to work for a company with amazing history and incredible vision, in the most dynamic entertainment market in the world right now. As someone spending her entire career bridging the cultural differences between China and the U.S., I’m also excited about the growing relationship between the two countries in entertainment, especially in the film industry.”
Liu most recently ran the entertainment marketing company Filmworks China, which she founded in 2010 and sold two years later to global advertising conglomerate WPP. She worked to establish promotional partnerships between film productions and Chinese advertisement brands, overseeing partnerships on the last three Transformers films, “Kung Fu Panda 2,” “Ice Age 4,” the last two “Fast and Furious” films, “Minions” and “Superman: Man of Steel.”
Liu also has served as the director of strategic development for Orange Sky Golden Harvest Entertainment. She also worked on “Red Cliff,” directed by John Woo, and was an exec with SEEC Media Group, a Beijing-based international magazine publishing house.