Mike Fleming

LOS ANGELES, CA, February 14, 2011- MGM has appointed Ken Schapiro to the post of Chief Operating Officer, it was announced today by Co-Chairmen and Chief Executive Officers Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum.

Schapiro is the co-founder and a managing principal of Qualia Capital LLC, a private investment management company focused on the media and entertainment industries with an emphasis on intellectual property asset portfolios. His MGM appointment is effective immediately and he will report to Barber and Birnbaum.

“Ken’s background, experience and proven track record make him an undeniable asset to MGM. We believe his skills and energy will be integral in helping us build the new MGM,” said Barber and Birnbaum.

“While it is difficult to leave the business I co-founded with my partner Amir Malin, returning to an operating role to work with Gary and Roger at the new MGM from this early stage is too exciting a challenge to pass up,” said Schapiro.

Prior to co-founding Qualia Capital LLC in 2003, Ken Schapiro served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Artisan Entertainment. During his tenure at Artisan, from 1998 to 2003, the company more than tripled the size of its film library to become one of the largest content libraries in the world with over 6000 titles. Schapiro and his co-founding partner in Qualia, Amir Malin, oversaw Artisan’s transformation from a struggling publicly held home video distributor into a leading privately held independent film company, home to such projects as “The Blair Witch Project,” “The Punisher” and the “Barbie®” series of direct-to-video features.

Schapiro also served as executive vice president for Morgan Creek Productions and was involved in the development, production, financing and distribution of over 30 feature films including “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves” and the highly successful “Ace Ventura®” series of films.