Nellie Andreeva

EXCLUSIVE: Deborah Spera is leaving the Mark Gordon Co. where she has served as president of television for the past seven years. Spera will depart in June when her contract expires to become an independent producer. “I am proud of everything we accomplished at The Mark Gordon Co. during the last seven years,” she said. “Mark is a trusted friend and colleague, and he more than anyone understands the entrepreneurial spirit. I am grateful for his support as I head into this exciting new chapter of my life and hope we can continue to find ways work together in the future.”

Spera joined the ABC Studios-based Mark Gordon Co. in 2004 just as the company was getting its first hit series Grey’s Anatomy off the ground. She helped Gordon build the company into one of the most prolific pods in TV with 5 series on the air. Spera serves as an executive producer on three of them, CBS’ Criminal Minds and spinoff Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior and Lifetime’s Army Wives, as well as on the company’s pilot this season, ABC’s Identity. “Deb was hired seven years ago because of her great creative instincts, and she’s certainly proven her talents as a creative executive and producer,” said Mark Gordon, CEO of Mark Gordon Prods. “I will miss working with her every day but I am fully supportive of her decision to move on, and I’m looking forward to continuing to work with her as she embarks on a new path as an independent producer.”

Before joining The Mark Gordon Co., Spera spent eight years at Showtime where she oversaw movies, including The Baby Dance, Wild Iris, 12 Angry Men, Inherit the Wind, and On the Beach and executive produced the film Fathers and Sons. She also helped bring NPR’s This American Life to the network as a TV series. Spera started off as an assistant to Steve Reuther and Arnon Milchan at New Regency Prods. and did a stint at Eden Roc Films where she worked on What’s Eating Gilbert Grape and From Dusk Till Dawn.

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