NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Greenlight, the rights clearances and icon representation arm of Bill Gates-owned Branded Entertainment Network (BEN) Group, has announced the hire of its new senior director of client development, Matthew Schwagerl. Schwagerl, who will be based in New York City, will report directly to Tamra Knepfer, senior vice president of BEN/Greenlight.
Schwagerl will be responsible for client acquisition and working directly with a variety of brands and agencies across North America, specifically focusing on selling Greenlight’s rights clearances services. Utilizing nearly two decades of experience, Schwagerl will help drive Greenlight’s continued record growth.
“Greenlight is a cutting-edge and innovative company amongst the entertainment marketing landscape. I am honored to be working with such bright and motivated colleagues to continue Greenlight’s mission of connecting brands to consumers through the power of popular entertainment, providing unrivaled access to talent and content, including film and TV clips, music, celebrities, icons, and more, for use in advertising and products or services,” said Schwagerl.
Familiar with client development and advertising sales, Schwagerl previously served as Sales Director at Ello, the content platform now part of Talenthouse. He held a similar position at MyLikes, an influencer platform, is now Post Intelligence, before being acquired by Uber. Matt started his career at Hearst Magazine, where he sold advertising programs for properties including Car and Driver, and Popular Mechanics. Working with Fortune 500 advertisers, Schwagerl has experience in connecting brands and agencies with creative communities for content creation across film, art, design, music, fashion, photography, and more. Matt studied at Seton Hall University where he earned a B.A. in Psychology.
“We are very excited to have Matt join the Greenlight team,” said Knepfer. “Matt brings with him invaluable experience and connectivity amongst the agency and brand worlds. We look forward to his contributions as Greenlight continues to soar.”
About Branded Entertainment Network (BEN)
Branded Entertainment Network connects global brands to consumers through the power of popular entertainment. Branded Entertainment Network is comprised of two companies: BEN and Greenlight. BEN is a global entertainment marketing company delivering premium brand integrations across streaming, TV, film, and influencer programming. BEN’s client roster includes Microsoft, GM, Dyson, Ubisoft, Unilever, P&G, and General Mills. Greenlight offers brands unmatched expertise in global rights clearance and licensing with integrated solutions for music, photos, film, TV, celebrity, and iconic talent. Greenlight’s roster of celebrity legends, including Albert Einstein, Steve McQueen, Thomas Edison, Sophia Loren and Charlie Chaplin, provides brands with opportunities for instant recognition, positive perception, and global appeal. Greenlight’s client roster includes Hallmark, Tag Heuer, Canon, L’Oréal, Salesforce, Vodaphone, BBDO, Dentsu, Ogilvy, JWT, and Saatchi & Saatchi.
