CAA China Appoints CEO

CAA China has appointed to CEO former Special Olympics executive Mary Gu Shuhang.  

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CAA China is a new joint venture between U.S.-based Creative Artists Agency and CMC Capital Partners of China. Gu’s resumé includes stints as vice president of the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games Executive Committee and president of the Shanghai Corporate Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo 2010. She also co-founded the Shanghai Golden Grand Prix, a Chinese athletics event.

CAA China was formed in April as a media and entertainment platform. CAA first came to China in 2005 and has since been involved in the financing and sale of more than 70 Chinese-language movies.

The company’s Global Film Finance & Sales Group steered $400 million in Chinese investments into English-language content, as well. In a statement, CAA President Richard Lovett said, “In our 12 years in China, we have built the region’s largest and most successful motion picture agency.

Now, we are moving into the next stage of our strategic growth plan for CAA China. Mary will accelerate this momentum using her expertise and network of relationships to further diversify our capabilities and reach in sports and entertainment throughout the region.”

In her own statement, Gu said, “I have tremendous respect for the business CAA has built in China, and am honored to join CAA China under the visionary leadership of Richard Lovett and [CMC Chairman] Li Ruigang at this very moment in the company’s growth plan.”

CMC Capital Partners is a leading Chinese investment fund in media and entertainment, Internet technology and content, lifestyle and live events. Gu’s job, according to the CAA statement, will be to further CAA’s “efforts in sports services, branded content, live events, television and music touring, while continuing to foster its market-leadership in motion pictures and film finance, through greater China.”

In May, CAA China helped Beijing Weying Technology Co., Ltd., a leading online ticketing and marketing platform, acquire nine French films, including several that were screened at Cannes.