Saudi Entertainment Ventures Hires Jennifer Hanser As EVP Strategy And Mergers & Acquisitions

EXCLUSIVE: Jennifer Hanser, a financial analyst with Deutsche Bank who then went on to work at Merrill Lynch, AOL, FIFA, Major League Baseball and Sony Music Entertainment, has been hired by the Saudi Entertainment Ventures Company (SEVEN) as EVP Strategy and Mergers & Acquisitions. Hanser is a key hire.

SEVEN was established by the Public Investment Fund in December 2017 to become the first entity to obtain a license for operating movie theaters in the kingdom. It launched the first cinema in Saudi Arabia after more than 35 years in partnership with U.S.-based AMC Group, the world’s largest exhibitor.

The company is planning to invest in the entertainment sector, increase its expansion and diversify the service offering and raise the quality “based on international standards, in addition to building capacity and developing local talent in the entertainment field across the kingdom.” The organization recently announced plans to create the first 100,000-square-meters purpose-built, Riyadh-based entertainment complex in Saudi Arabia.

“Jennifer joins us as we develop the most exciting, wide-ranging and ambitious plans for a new era in entertainment across the kingdom,” said Bill Ernest, CEO of Saudi Entertainment Ventures. “Her wide experience at all levels of seniority within some of the world’s most well-known organizations – from Wall Street to Major League Baseball – gives her some unique and powerful insights into modern business strategy.”

Abdullah bin Nasser Al-Dawood, chairman of the Board of Directors of Saudi Entertainment Ventures, said in a statement, “Jennifer has a strong track record of building relationships with key stakeholders from varied disciplines to yield highly-negotiated, well-structured deals that optimize alignment and drive results in competitive, regulated, international business environments.”