The Producers Guild of America (PGA) announced its 2018 election results, naming Gail Berman and Lucy Fisher as presidents. The duo ran unopposed and were introduced to their new constituents during the Guild’s annual general membership meeting on the Paramount Pictures Studios lot in Los Angeles. Berman and Fisher’s election is historic for the PGA as it marks the first time two women will serve as presidents of the Guild.
Outgoing PGA presidents Gary Lucchesi and Lori McCreary issued a statement which read, “Gail and Lucy have long since established themselves as leaders in our industry, steering their respective networks, studios and companies to great success in an era of unprecedented change. They are a pair of brilliant and fearless producers who are devoted to the ideals of the PGA and the professional welfare of its members. We can’t wait to watch the Guild thrive under their stewardship.”
Berman has served on the PGA’s National Board of Directors as well as serving on the guild’s Producers Council Board of Delegates since 2016.
Fisher has served on the Producers Council Board of Delegates since 2015 and was a 2006 recipient of the PGA’s David O. Selznick Achievement Award in Theatrical Motion Pictures, alongside her husband and producing partner Douglas Wick.
Lucchesi and McCreary, who have held the post since 2014, received special recognition at the meeting for their unwavering service. Over the past four years, their leadership was essential in dealing with several high-profile issues for the PGA, including solidifying the authority of the Producers Mark, and releasing the Guild’s Anti-Sexual Harassment Guidelines, which earlier this year established the PGA as the first industry trade group to take action in light of widespread reports of harassment in entertainment and media.
Gail Berman
Berman is recognized as one of the most prolific content creators in the entertainment business having launched award-winning properties for television, film, digital and the Broadway stage.
Berman is chairman and CEO of The Jackal Group, an independent production entity formed in partnership with Fox Networks Group. The Jackal Group develops, produces and exploits premium scripted, unscripted and factual entertainment programming. Current projects include TV shows for Netflix, ABC, Fox, and AMC, and feature films such as “I Almost Forgot About You,” a feature adaptation of Terry McMillan’s bestselling novel of the same name, starring Academy Award® winner Viola Davis, directed by Malcolm D. Lee and co-written by McMillan and Oscar® winner Ron Bass, at Universal Pictures; and “The Addams Family,” MGM’s animated feature based on the macabre clan, directed by Conrad Vernon and voiced by Golden Globe® winner Oscar Isaac, Academy Award winner Charlize Theron, Chloë Grace Moretz, Finn Wolfhard, Nick Kroll, Bette Midler and Oscar winner Allison Janney. The Jackal Group also draws on Berman’s acclaimed background in theater in creating and developing concepts for live theatrical entertainment and is currently producing a Broadway musical based on the film “The Rose.”
Berman is one of the few media executives to hold the top posts at both a major film studio and a broadcast television network. She was named president of Paramount Pictures in March 2005. Before joining Paramount, Berman served from 2000 to 2005 as president of entertainment for Fox Broadcasting Company. She took the network to the top of the ratings for the first time in its history, developing and producing gigantic hits such as “American Idol,” “24,” “House,” “Arrested Development,” “Bones,” and “Family Guy.”
Prior to Fox, Berman served as founding president of Regency Television, the TV studio created in 1998 as a co-venture between Fox Television Studios and New Regency Productions. Under Berman, Regency Television quickly grew into one of the most prolific and respected suppliers of TV entertainment programming, including the primetime hit “Malcolm in the Middle.” Earlier, as president and CEO of Sandollar Television, Berman served as executive producer on the global hit shows “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Angel.”
Lucy Fisher
Fisher is an award winning film producer known for her work on “The Great Gatsby,” “Memoirs of a Geisha” and The “Divergent” Series. She is currently the co-head of Red Wagon Entertainment along with Wick. Previously, Fisher served as vice chairman of Sony’s Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group. During her time at Sony, the studio broke all-time domestic and worldwide industry box office records with movies she supervised such as “Jerry Maguire,” “As Good as it Gets,” “My Best Friend’s Wedding,” and “Air Force One.” Fisher also served as EVP of worldwide production at Warner Bros for 14 years, where she shepherded such movies as “The Fugitive,” “Gremlins,” “The Goonies,” “Space Jam,” “The Color Purple,” “Empire of the Sun,” “The Witches of Eastwick,” and “Malcolm X,” as well as Michael Moore’s directorial debut. Prior to joining Warner Bros., Fisher served as head of production at Francis Coppola’s Zoetrope Studios.
In addition to her creative achievements, Fisher is widely considered a pioneer for women and working mothers in the entertainment industry. She was the driving force behind the on-site Warner Bros. Studio Children’s Center, which has since provided care for over 2,500 children and served as a prototype for day care centers at other studios.
Fisher’s many awards include the Producers Guild of America’s David O. Selznick Achievement Award in Theatrical Motion Pictures, the Hollywood Film Festival “Producer of the Year” Award, the Hollywood Award for Outstanding Achievement in Producing, two Crystal Awards from Women in Film, and the Friends of Cancer Research Advocacy’s “Lifetime Achievement Award.” She has been listed as one of Fortune Magazine’s 50 Most Powerful Women in American Business.
