
Related: CAA About To Undergo More Agent Exits
LOS ANGELES (April 24, 2012) – Creative Artists Agency announced today a series of promotions to agent or executive, including Jon Cassir, Marissa Edler, Ryan Fitzjohn, Charlie Jennings, Meredith Jones, Bobby Kenner, Franklin Latt, Alex Mebed, Tess O’Sullivan, Chelsea Reed, Elan Ruspoli, Angie Sun, Jin Wang, and Luna Xu.
Cassir joined CAA in 2007 following his graduation from George Washington University. He was most recently the Motion Pictures Books/Rights Coordinator and is now an Agent for the department.
A graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, Edler joined CAA Sports in 2009. She has been promoted to an Executive in the Baseball Department, where she previously served as Coordinator for the department.
Fitzjohn joined CAA in 2007 in the London office as an Assistant in the Music Department. He most recently worked as Music Coordinator and was promoted to Agent in that department.
Jennings, who joined the agency in 2007, was most recently the Motion Pictures Department Coordinator. He has been promoted to Motion Pictures Agent.
Jones joined CAA in 2007 as an assistant in the Music Department in the agency’s Nashville office. She is now an Agent in that department, focusing on college market bookings for CAA’s music and comedy clients.
Kenner joined the agency in 2006 following his graduation from Davidson College. He most recently worked as the Television Alternative Coordinator, before being promoted to Agent in that department.
After graduating from UC Santa Cruz and studying documentary filmmaking and Portuguese in Brazil, Latt joined CAA in 2008. Latt worked for CAA partner and managing director Kevin Huvane before being promoted to Motion Pictures Agent.
Following a successful career in finance, Mebed made a career shift into entertainment in 2007. He began his career at CAA in the agency’s Lifestyle/Licensing department, before moving over to the Motion Pictures department. He has been promoted to Motion Pictures Agent.
Based in the agency’s London office, O’Sullivan began her career at CAA Sports in 2009. She most recently worked as a Sports Coordinator before being promoted to Agent.
A graduate of Vanderbilt University, Reed joined CAA in 2007. She was the coordinator for the Television Literary Scripted department. She was promoted to Agent for the same department.
A graduate of the University of Southern California, Ruspoli began his career at CAA in 2007 as an assistant in the Television Talent Department. He then transitioned to the Motion Pictures department in 2008, where he now serves as an Agent.
Sun, who joined the agency in 2010, most recently was a Coordinator for CAA Marketing, where she now serves as an Executive.
Based in CAA’s Beijing office, Wang was promoted to Executive, where she will handle publicity on behalf of the agency’s China-based clients. She has been with the company since 2009.
Xu graduated from Beijing Renmin University and joined CAA in 2011. She was promoted to Motion Picture Agent in CAA’s Beijing office.



I thought CAA was making more cuts soon. Why would they promote so many now?
because these people cost $8 and they’re cutting senior people with big salaries.
Hilarious!
This is exactly right.
First trim the fat, then beef up the muscle.
Is it possible to get an entry-level job at an agency if you have a degree from an Ivy League school but have no experience in the business?
It is possible, it would help if said person knows some people in the agency of their choice. Knowing people means much more than an ivy league diploma sometimes.
Yes, generally either in the mailroom or as an assistant. Despite all the snarky comments that people make about “suits,” the vast majority of people you’ll meet at the major agencies – especially those who are under-40 – are extremely well educated.
What you have to consider is this: looking at the promo list above, most of these people had been working at the assistant level for 5 years. Even now, after the promotion, they’re making a base salary of about $50k (albeit they get perks and benefits which bump the total compensation up to the $70k range). And these are the lucky few who actually got promoted.
If you have an Ivy League degree, you should be smart enough to know that you would be well served to work in a different industry where you will be better compensated and live a happier and more balanced life.
Educated? Perhaps. But not in film nor TV. These people would work better in the business setting rather than entertainment. They have no real passion for film. They judge quality by gross rather than style and substance. Same can be said for the execs at the studios.
There are books about the mailroom. Read one.
Just call HR at any of them and be smart, passionate, humble and easy-going. They’re always hiring because the turnover is huge, and for good reason. Also, try reaching out to alums in the business. People like helping people because it makes them feel good, especially when it’s not hard or time consuming. And dont ask for too much. A thirty minute informational meeting can change your life. Where’d you go to school?
Cornell University
I found Elan to be friendly and with good social graces. It’s always nice to see people I don’t HATE get promoted. When can they fire people I hate?
Thanks Elan.
Elan is a great guy and hard worker who totally deserves this. In a sea of assholes and nepotism, he worked hard throughout his college career with internships at Sony and Paramount, and helped those around him to move up and get jobs. Having worked with him closely, I know he will do a great job and give agents a better name. Congrats Elan!
Ditto. He’s a great guy and hard worker. He’ll go far in this biz.
CONGRATS!
GO CHELSEA!!!!!
Is it possible to get an entry level job at an agency with a lot of experience, connections/friends at said agency, but no 4 year degree? I’m sure it would be more difficult, but does corporate policy prohibit hiring anyone without a degree?
If you’re actually on here looking for career advice and not smart enough to figure it out on your own… Hell, you’ll probably run this town soon.
according to policy – at least at top 3 – you don’t need a 4 year degree but you do need A degree, though I’m sure the right reference could change that. it’s who you know, remember?
The only department that is really shrinking in terms of agents is motion picture literary…the rest of the company is expanding big time. Marketing, sports, business development, these are areas that CAA completely dominates and that bring in major revenues. Yes, motion pictures is still the “marquee” department, it gets the most media coverage and recognition because of its association with celebrity, but celebrity don’t pay the bills like it used to! People should stop thinking of CAA as a traditional agency because the traditional biz is only one piece of a MUCH larger pie for them. You can’t really compare them to any other agency because nobody else is bringing in as much revenue from these non-traditional areas (WME tries, UTA is beginning to, but wherever they go, CAA is already there). For everyone who ever said the CAA partners were crazy for expanding into all these other areas….hahahaha they are laughing all the way to the bank!
which is why no other traditional talent agency is being considered one of the most innovative business period by rags like Fortune – and the strategy isn’t even that innovative, diversifying is business 101 and when film and tv are in a time of such robust change, it’s good to have things like sports, marketing, i-banking etc… to ensure you don’t go under with the tide. And trust me, CAA’s not going anywhere
You guys are idiots. CAA just had a head start, the others will catch up soon enough.
You guys used to be the runaway leaders in TV and talent and now you’re not. Contrary to what you people think, you’re not smarter than everyone else.
Is their expansion and business savvy why they needed the loan? Was it to invest with or cover losses? What am I missing here?
Companies take on debt when debt is cheap. Debt is cheap right now.
Do you think any of the co-heads in the departments will be cut or just agents?
They deserve the promotion, they’ve worked really hard but I feel bad for the CAA roster of clients… Clients can now expect hard working 1 dimensional unexperienced prototypes that are programmed to be obedient within the CAA corporate algorithm.
Good new crew of recruits WINNING..
Congrats to Elan, dude more than deserves it.
If you want to see what the growth areas of the agency business are just look at the year each of these guys joined the agency, given they were all promoted simultaneously.
So if you’re an assistant and you didn’t get promoted this time around do you sit around and wait for the next round of promotions or is the writing on the wall for you ?
Come on, Ron.. Quit being a wimp. Wipe your eyes and keep working hard. And bring in some solid talent if you want to move up. It’s not just going to be handed to you.
This news gives those of us just tarting out just a shred of hope! Although out of the many assistants that started working there in 2008-9 thats not very many. Although, maybe most of them were fired or quit. Even though they are making base salary it’s a fast climb from there if they are good at their job.
Seriously, this shouldn’t give you hope. It’s a cutthroat proposition. When they have nearly one hundred percent turnover each year, and there are a few hundred agents, figure how many hundreds of assistants have cycled through those doors since 2007, for just fourteen to have been promoted. The odds are in no way in your favor. And where do you get fast climb? Most of these folks have put in 5 assistant years, which equals 10 human years for you and I, all the work and stress it takes to get through it.
Alex Mebed and Elan Ruspoli = class acts! High fives all around boys!
yay bobby! go red!
Congrats, Elan. Hard worker and great guy.
Thumbs up everyone!
Good news on the promotions.
When will UTA start promoting or will nothing happen before the merger with ICM?
I’ve dealt with Franklin – He seems like a very solid guy with smarts.
Elan is also a total class act.
Is it easier to land an entry-level job at an film studio/TV network or at an agency?
Is this why Karin Hassenger left CAA a couple of weeks ago? She came in with the 2007 crowd, worked her way up and got into the agent training program. Was she told no promotion?
No, it’s not why I left. Not remotely true in any way. I heart my CAA family, always have, always will, and every one of these new promotes is a rock star who deserve congrats & respect, not bullshit conjecture from a bunch of wannabees who obviously don’t know what in the hell they’re talking about…
Frank Latt’s the man…worked his ass off, smart guy, great personality, and you don’t want to roll on the matt with him either…
CAA – what does that stand for, Chinese Artists Agency – sheesh
And the loser young agents at ICM wonder why the assistants there don’t respect them? It’s because they don’t have the experience to be as cocky as they are. Many assistants are more savvy there than the few who get promoted within 2 years. CAA does it right