Profile
Jeffrey Edell has leveraged his financial, operational and management experience across several industries throughout his extensive business career while focusing on the New Media/Technology and TV and Filmed Entertainment areas, more specifically in: content creation and distribution, merchandising and licensing, entertainment services, advertising, cable, online social networking communities, software and the kids' space. He has worked extensively throughout the US and abroad, and in both the public and private sectors. Mr. Edell has successfully completed mergers and exit deals on behalf of a number of private and institutional investors.
During the past year, Mr. Edell has been providing consulting services to a variety of entities spanning a multitude of markets including: Film production, film finance and distribution, new media, mobile, e-learning and edutainment.
He presently serves on the board of Whoop, Inc., a mobile SaaS platform that maximizes a company's, agency's, publisher's or individual's ability to easily create, share, and engage with its clientele or audience. This is accomplished by using text, mobile web content and rich media applications over any network, optimized for virtually any mobile device worldwide.
While serving as President of DIC Entertainment (public:London AIM), the largest independent producer of Kids entertainment properties in the US with an extensive licensing business, he helped successfully integrate the largest independent licensing business in Pan-Europe in Copyright Promotions Limited (CPL), and founded and launched Kidsco, an independent Kids Cable Network, with partners Sparrowhawk Media (NBC/Universal) and Nelvana (Corus). Mr. Edell also spearheaded the design, development and launch of the DIC on-line cartoon and gaming network. His efforts culminated in the sale of DIC to Cinar parent, Cookie Jar Entertainment in late 2008.
Prior to his DIC presidency, Mr. Edell served as the President/CEO/Chairman of Vertical Branding, Inc. (public:OB), a multi-national consumer products creation, distribution and infomercial company, which utilizes TV, retail and on-line strategies to generate its revenues. In 2005, he orchestrated a reverse public merger and raised the necessary capital for operations and growth. In addition, he completed the successful acquisition and integration which generated in excess of $100mil in revenues.
Prior to his Vertical appointment, Mr. Edell was Chairman of Intermix Media, the founding parent company of popular social networking giant MySpace, with a member base that approached 250MM, and its 30+ other on-line businesses (public:AMEX). While at Intermix he helped to stabilize a delisted NASDAQ company, hire its new CEO, reconstruct its Board of Directors, raise appropriate capital and obtain a relisting on the AMEX. He was also instrumental in the corporate transaction for the launch of MySpace. As Chairman he oversaw the Board and interacted with Intermix's major shareholders. Intermix was sold to NewsCorp in 2006 for approximately $700mil.
From 1995 to 2000, Mr. Edell was President/CEO of Soundelux Entertainment Group (SEG), a fully integrated entertainment content and services company (winner of 5 Academy Awards and over 50 Emmys, along with numerous Addys). He spearheaded the growth of a small post production entity into a multi-national entrainment powerhouse with businesses spanning post production services, digital distribution to theme park and theatre design and production. His tenure culminated in a sale of a portion of the business to John Malone's Liberty Media Corporation in 2000 for total consideration approximating $128mil. He then oversaw the initial integration efforts of the Sound/Music post production services branches of Todd-A-O, Four Media and Soundelux into Liberty subsidiary, Ascent Media/Discovery Communications formerly Liberty Livewire, with over $500mil in revenues.
Mr. Edell also was the Founder and was the first Chairman/CEO of elabor.com, a privately held software and technology company that developed in-house and web-based time and attendance, labor, and project management solutions for Fortune 1000 companies. Elabor.com was sold to Microsoft and ADP in 2002.
He has also held senior level positions within the Transamerica Group (public:NYSE) and KPMG, where he specialized in the entertainment area and obtained his CPA designation.
Additionally, in 1994, he assisted in taking the $120mil revenue family vitamin business, public and served on its board until it was successfully sold in 2003 to Inverness Medical (public:Nasdaq)
Mr. Edell is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Oscars) and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (Emmys) and has been a member of the Young Presidents Organization since 1996.
He was named Entertainment Entrepreneur of the year 2000 by NASDAQ and Ernst and Young and has been a frequent speaker at UCLA Anderson Graduate School of Business, USC Marshall School of Business and Pepperdine Graduate School of Business.
Mr. Edell obtained his Bachelors of Science in Commerce degree from the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia (UVA) with an emphasis on Accounting, Taxation and Law. While in college, he participated in such varsity sports as: Basketball, Tennis and Soccer. Prior to his time at UVA, he attended Lehigh University where he studied accounting and business.
Mr. Edell was also a member of the 2005 US Maccabi Basketball team to Israel, and the 2006 US Maccabi Soccer team and was the starting goal-keeper at the games in Sydney, Australia where his USA team lost in the Bronze medal round.
He is an avid comicbook and sportscard collector, is married with three children and resides in Westlake Village, California.
