EXCLUSIVE: Jason Bergsman, a seasoned business executive who helped Joe and Anthony Russo build AGBO into a formidable content supplier, will exit as the company’s CEO this fall.
Indications are that the parting of ways is amicable, and stems from a lack of alignment between AGBO’s current evolutionary stage and Bergsman’s longer-term career interests. He has agreed to stay on for the next 60 days.
AGBO has a number of high-profile projects in motion and is coming off its highest-profile one to date, The Gray Man, which is one of the most-watched feature films in Netflix history, according to the company.
Before joining AGBO in 2020, Bergsman was a partner and founding member of The Chernin Group, where he primarily focused on building, acquiring and investing in digital media companies. He served on the board of Crunchyroll and continues to be a board member at MeatEater, an outdoor lifestyle media and e-commerce company he launched. Prior to TCG, Bergsman worked in business development at NBCUniversal, corporate strategic planning at Disney and investment banking at Goldman Sachs.
Below are two internal memos circulated to AGBO staff — one from the Russos and AGBO co-founder and vice chairman Mike Larocca; and the other from Bergsman.
Dear AGBO team –
We want to share some important organizational news. After having achieved so many of the key objectives he initiated since joining AGBO, Jason Bergsman has made the decision to leave the Company.
Since Jason joined as CEO in early 2020, we are very pleased that AGBO has made great progress across many fronts under Jason’s leadership. He has made significant contributions as we’ve continued building AGBO into a well-capitalized, smoothly functioning, and uniquely positioned independent entertainment company.
During his tenure, Jason led a rationalization of the Company’s lines of business; worked with creative leadership to craft our Universe-focused creative strategy that leverages AGBO’s unique in-house talent; and pursued a business strategy that reflects and supports this creative positioning and the full potential of franchise-building.
Jason has also been integral to building out our excellent senior management team and putting the Company on strong financial footing, having worked with key AGBO execs to lead AGBO’s financing and partnership arrangement with Asian gaming giant Nexon. As we have shared previously, this partnership provides AGBO both capital and an extensive two-way strategic relationship that integrates video games firmly in AGBO’s future.
We are forever grateful for Jason’s strategic and operating leadership—and the enduring benefit his contributions will have on our team, culture, and the Company moving forward.
Jason is leaving in place a strong team of both long-term and recently hired creative leaders who are extremely well suited to lead the Company going forward. To ensure a smooth transition, Jason has agreed to remain as CEO for the next 60 days and work closely with Company leadership.
Thanks,
Joe, Anthony and Mike
***
AGBO colleagues:
First, thank you Joe and Anthony for your kind words here and overall, for your partnership and support.
I’m tremendously proud of the work that we’ve all done together since I joined AGBO in early 2020. Beyond many of the collective accomplishments Joe and Anthony so graciously cited, we’ve burnished AGBO’s well-deserved reputation and built a strong foundation for continued success in the years ahead.
When I joined the company, I did so with great confidence in the unparalleled capabilities of our AGBO team and the prospect of aligning them to meet the demands of a vibrant but changing market. But what I didn’t realize on day one was the extent to which I’d be so inspired and invigorated by the creative energy here and the spirit of collaboration that courses throughout all we do.
I’ve enjoyed working with and learning from each of you. Though we’ve collectively achieved so much, I have made the decision to move on with the assurance that there’s so much more to come thanks to all your valued contributions and the leadership of our incredible management team.
All the best,
Jason
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