Entertainment Marketing Firm Create Promotes Jonathan Gitlin to CEO (Exclusive)

Why It Matters

Gitlin’s internal promotion signals continuity and a strategic push toward AI‑driven creative workflows, positioning Create to capture market share as rivals restructure.

Key Takeaways

• Jonathan Gitlin, 20‑year veteran, becomes Create’s CEO.
• Founder David Stern shifts to chairman, focusing on long‑term strategy.
• New hires expand key‑art and creative strategy in LA and London.
• Create will prioritize AI‑native operations and integrated services.
• Leadership changes occur as industry rivals like Trailer Park Group contract.

Pulse Analysis

Create’s leadership transition reflects a broader trend of promoting insiders who understand both the creative and operational nuances of entertainment marketing. Jonathan Gitlin’s ascent from a 2006 design intern to CEO underscores a rare continuity in an industry often marked by external hires. By retaining founder David Stern as chairman, the studio preserves strategic oversight while empowering a new generation to steer day‑to‑day execution, a balance that can sustain client confidence during periods of market flux.

The firm’s strategic roadmap emphasizes AI‑native workflows, a move that mirrors the growing reliance on machine‑learning tools for rapid asset generation, audience targeting, and performance analytics. Integrating creative services across its Los Angeles and London offices aims to deliver seamless, cross‑platform campaigns for theatrical releases, streaming series, and interactive media. Recent hires—such as Joey Samaniego and Gerry Batson—bring high‑profile campaign experience from Netflix, Amazon, and Apple, reinforcing Create’s ambition to become a one‑stop shop for key‑art, trailer, and broader brand storytelling.

These changes arrive as competitors like Trailer Park Group contract and new entrants such as Requiem emerge, reshaping the competitive landscape. Create’s focus on culture, talent development, and AI integration positions it to attract top creative talent while delivering cost‑effective, data‑driven solutions. With 16 Golden Trailer Awards nominations on the horizon, the studio is poised to showcase its creative heft, reinforcing its reputation and potentially winning new business in a market hungry for innovative, technology‑enabled marketing. The leadership shift thus serves both as a stabilizing force and a catalyst for future growth.