Executive Profile: Michael Berkowitz

After a run at Berklee College of Music and booking his own band’s gigs, he thought it might be cool to be Irving Azoff or David Geffen. But along his journey, he’s found it’s good to be Michael Berkowitz. 

Berkowitz looked at where he was and where he wanted to be and plotted out a career path that put him squarely in the right place at the right time, even though it wasn’t something he dreamed of as a kid. He took a couple of internships, which he describes as “more dog-walking and coffeemaking than dealmaking,” made relationships with some comedians and began booking them from his office/apartment in New York City.

He landed at APA about 10 years ago. Now, he’s head of comedy at APA, as well as a partner and board member – one of the youngest of any agency. And he’s arrived at a time when comedy is making a historic leap from clubs and theatres to arenas and beyond.

Berkowitz has a clientele of some of the best and brightest in comedy, including Aziz Ansari, Louis CK, Kevin Hart, Amy Schumer, John Mulaney, Hannibal Buress, Craig Ferguson, Mike Birbiglia, Bill Burr, Anthony Jeselnik and many more.

Hart’s “What Now?” tour is one of comedy’s biggest outings in history and will culminate in comedy’s first stadium show at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia Aug. 30.

He’s moved beyond booking tours, specializing in developing and marketing artists across platforms into theatrical, digital and other media as well as Emmy Award-winning comedy specials. His clients can regularly be seen on HBO, Netflix, Comedy Central, Comedy Dynamics and Showtime. He still considers a Bruce Springsteen show to be the greatest way to spend his free time. 

Click here for the complete interview. 

See Also: Executive Profiles Archive