Warner Bros. Pictures Animation continues to grow its executive team under President Bill Damaschke with the additions of Kim Mackey and Jessie Carbonaro, as EVP of Production Talent and VP of Production Talent, respectively, and the elevation of Susan Akinbola to VP of Development.
“At a such an exciting time in our company’s history, where we are ramping up and building a slate and culture that we are incredibly proud of, we are thrilled to welcome such well-respected and accomplished executives to the team and promote one of our talented team members from inside the company,” said Damaschke. “Kim, Jessie and Susan are an integral part of our stellar team that also includes EVP of Theatrical Animation Chris Leahy.”
As EVP of Production Talent, Kim Mackey is responsible for recruiting and talent development strategy across the division. This includes helping to attract and retain top talent as well as the artistic management and training for the feature film animation division. Mackey is a 25-plus-year veteran of the animation industry and most recently was the Head of Recruiting for Netflix Animation overseeing the hiring across the film, series, and adult animation divisions.
Prior to Netflix, Mackey was Global Head of Recruiting for DreamWorks Animation and her career there spanned 20-plus years. Before that recruiting position, she contributed to the studio’s feature films in both production and executive roles for The Prince of Egypt, Spirit, Shark Tale, and Flushed Away. As a talent acquisition studio executive, she managed resource needs across the entire studio’s production slate, including the studio’s biggest franchises Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar and How to Train Your Dragon.
Jessie Carbonaro, VP of Production Talent, collaborates closely with Mackey, overseeing the production talent team. Carbonaro is instrumental in cultivating and maintaining relationships within the animation communities, while also managing the recruiting experience to attract amazing talent to join WBPA. She joins from Netflix, where she served as the Director of Talent Acquisition for Feature Animation, where she led a recruiting team and helped build the studio over her four years in the position.
Carbonaro embarked on her career in television as a producer/writer, transitioning to DreamWorks in 2004 to pursue her passion for animation. During her time at DreamWorks, she served as a production supervisor, contributing to the success of renowned projects such as Madagascar, Madagascar 2, Shrek the Third, Shrek Forever After, Puss in Boots and Home. In 2015, she transitioned from production into talent acquisition, and has since held positions and executive roles at DreamWorks Animation, Skydance Media and Netflix Animation.
In her new role as VP of Development, Susan Akinbola is responsible for developing a diverse slate of original and IP-based features for Warner Bros. Pictures Animation. Akinbola joined Warner Bros. Pictures Animation as a development executive in January of 2020, returning to the studio where she began her career on The LEGO Movie franchise.
Warner Bros. Pictures Animation is the revitalized feature animation arm of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group. Since its launch with Looney Tunes in 1930, the division and has evolved through the years delivering 2D, 3D CG and photoreal animation projects, including modern classics such as The Iron Giant, The LEGO Movie franchise and Animated Feature Oscar winner Happy Feet.
While the fate of the studio’s hybrid Looney Tunes movie Coyote vs. Acme is still undetermined, upcoming projects include a slate of Dr. Seuss features, the Oz adventure Toto, Aaron Horvath & Michael Jelenic’s Meet the Flintstones and in-development pics including The Lunar Chronicles and Wed Wabbit (both with Locksmith Animation) and George R.R. Martin adaptation The Ice Dragon.
