Aric Ackerman and Guy Pechard have joined The Cavalry Productions as chief operating officer/partner and European partner/executive producer, respectively.
Ackerman is probably best known for his eight-year tenure as COO of @radical.media where he met Pechard who was running @radical’s French office. The two continued their relationship and are now reunited, teaming up at Calvary with CEO/EP Ross Grogan. The Calvary’s expanded directorial offerings include Steven Ada, Cécile Boisrond, Didier Canaux, Kevin Berlandi, Stephen Schuster, Chris Delaporte, Christophe Navarre, Henri Barges, the directing duo Rojomotorz and Doug Bernardt. The Cavalry has offices in Los Angeles, New York and now Paris.
In recent years The Cavalry has turned out commercials and digital content for such agencies as Grey, Saatchi & Saatchi, Deep Focus, Conill and Threshold Interactive while also working directly with numerous global brands.
Ackerman has over 15 years of experience in driving production, postproduction and business development efforts in both advertising and film. His new role with the company involves giving the Cavalry a worldwide presence. “It’s great to be involved in reloading the Cavalry’s operations, taking the existing business and adding a global footprint starting with Paris,” said Ackerman. “We have a fantastic group of new directors coming to work here in the U.S.”
Ackerman began his career in entertainment and media with Price Waterhouse where he rose to a principal consultant, advising three of the major Hollywood studios. He was also the founder and CEO of Resolve Market Research, and offered consultancy services and methodologies for the digital media, mobile and technology industries. With headquarters in Hollywood on the Raleigh Studios lot and a satellite office in London, the company was sold within 24 months of its founding. Ackerman has served on the board of the Motion Picture Industry Pension and Health Plans as management director for 10 years. He previously was on the supervisory board of directors for Raleigh Studios in Budapest, Hungary.
Pechard is best known as an EP with an eye for directorial talent. After 10 years with @radial, Pechard had helped to turn the office into the most awarded production house in the French market. “Aric and I had always stayed in contact,” says Pechard. “When I heard he had joined the Cavalry I knew I wanted to represent them in France. What we have is a new company, boutique in size but global in reach.”
As evidenced by two recent projects, The Cavalry is already expanding its boundaries. The directing duo Rojomotorz just wrapped a U.S. ad campaign direct for Stride Rite. The Cavalry also completed a job for Harbin beer, starring former NBA star Shaquille O’Neal, which was shot in both Atlanta and Shanghai.
