Stampede Ventures Names Jim Meenaghan as COO

Etan Vlessing
·2 min read
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The former 15-year UTA exec and partner Jim Meenaghan has been tapped as COO of Greg Silverman’s Stampede Ventures.

Meenaghan, who served as co-head of independent film and head of MP business affairs at UTA, will oversee day-to-day operations at the studio under founder and CEO Silverman. “Stampede Ventures is the perfect opportunity for me, the timing could not be better. I’m very excited to join such an ambitious company committed to making great, commercial content with a remarkable executive team and culture already in place,” Meenaghan said in a statement on Wednesday.

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In 2018, UTA promoted Meenaghan to co-head the independent film group with partner Rena Ronson after he had been with the agency for nine years and leading the motion picture business affairs group. Having stepped down from UTA at the end of 2023, Meenaghan joins Stampede after it unveiled a partnership with Film AlUla studios, while also working closely with joint venture partners Hidden Pigeon Company and Happy Nest.

“As a well-respected industry veteran, Jim’s invaluable expertise will help the company navigate this next phase. We look forward to his leadership and insights to continue to bolster Stampede Ventures,” Silverman said in a statement. In 2021, UTA and Stampede Ventures launched Happy Nest as production company focused on kids and family animation.

And in May 2023, Gerry Cardinale’s RedBird Capital Partners and Stampede teamed with kids author Mo Willems to launch Hidden Pigeon Company as a kids and family content producer.

Before joining UTA, Meenaghan worked at the Anschutz Film Group/Walden Media, Icon Productions and Walt Disney Pictures. Stampede Ventures has over 80 projects in development or set up with producing partners at Warner Bros., Netflix, Apple, Fox, Lionsgate, Peacock, MTV, Max, Disney+, and Paramount+.

Recent releases include Lionsgate’s Ordinary Angels starring Hilary Swank and Alan Ritchson, the documentary The Saint of Second Chances and the young adult feature Pink Skies Ahead, starring Mary J. Blige and Jessica Barden and picked up by MTV Studios.

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