Boat Rocker Media (BRM) has elevated a number of executives as part of a realignment of its Studios banner that it says will facilitate greater collaboration across its portfolio of assets.

U.S.-based Platform One Media, which BRM acquired in September 2019, has been rebranded as Boat Rocker Studios, scripted, as part of a streamlining of the company’s scripted operations.

The rejig sees Platform One chairman and CEO Katie O’Connell Marsh appointed as vice-chair of Boat Rockers Studios. At the same time, BRM’s co-executive chairmen Ivan Schneeberg and David Fortier will assume the additional roles of co-chairmen of Boat Rocker Studios. In addition, BRM president Michel Pratte has added the role of general manager, Boat Rocker Studios to his remit, a role in which he will oversee the day-to-day operations of the Studio arm.

BRM has realigned its operations a couple of times in recent years to keep pace with its rapid expansion. Starting in 2015, the company (then known as Temple Street) made a string of Canadian acquisitions including Radical Sheep, Proper Television and took a majority stake in Insight Productions. Since 2018, the company’s M&A strategy has become more globally focused with the acquisitions of Fremantle’s kids and family business, and later its acquisitions of L.A.-based Lip Sync Battle prodco Matador Content and Platform One.

According to Boat Rocker, it now employs 875 people across six countries and produces more than 50 TV series annually across scripted, unscripted and kids and family.

“As the global media industry continues to evolve, so does our business within it. We believe that now is the perfect time to lean into the growing Boat Rocker brand and use it to its fullest potential to help build out, across all genres, the company’s incredible slate of projects,” said Fortier and Schneeberg in a statement.

To facilitate increased collaboration across genres in key markets, a number of senior executives across the Studios group will see their remits expanded.

Jay Peterson, formerly co-founder and CEO of Matador Content and managing director of Boat Rocker Studios, unscripted, takes on the role of president, Boat Rocker Studios, unscripted. In the new role, Peterson will oversee the company’s unscripted output, including Matador Content, Proper Television and Insight Productions. His areas of focus will include an “aggressive expansion into documentaries and doc-series,” as well as coproductions and IP-sourcing deals with talent and audio companies. He will report to Pratte.

Jon Rutherford, formerly managing director of Boat Rocker Studios, kids and family, has been elevated to the role of president, Boat Rocker Studios, kids and family. Rutherford will be responsible for kids and family series and franchises, while continuing in the role of president, Boat Rocker Studios, rights, which sees him oversee international distribution, sales, and brand and licensing efforts for the Studios group.

Steve Lescroart, who was previously co-president of Platform One Media, has been elevated to the role of president, Boat Rocker Studios, scripted. He’ll be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Studio’s scripted division, including oversight of Toronto-based prodco Temple Street. A press release noted that Lescroart has collaborated with the rest of the scripted team to navigate the challenges of filming on four continents during the pandemic. In 2021, he will be focused on delivering multiple series, as well as a global coproduction strategy in partnership with Temple Street and Boat Rocker’s global sales team. He reports to Marsh and Michel Pratte.

Todd Lubin, Matador co-founder and chief creative 0fficer, has been upped to Matador’s top leadership role. John Young remains as CEO of Boat Rocker Media.

Pictured left to right: Ivan Schneeberg, David Fortier and John Young