Acorn Media Group: About Acorn: Executives

Executives

EXECUTIVES

Miguel Penella
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, ACORN MEDIA GROUP, INC.

As CEO of Acorn Media Group since April 2007, Miguel Penella oversees operations for all business units and is the driving force behind the worldwide expansion of both the Acorn and Acacia brands. From 2004 to 2007, Miguel was president of Acorn Direct, the company’s successful direct-to-consumer division offering DVDs and other high quality products through catalogs and online marketing vehicles. Under his leadership, Acorn Direct distributed more than 17 million catalogs in 2006, an increase of 80 percent in just two years. Miguel came to Acorn from Time-Life where he rose in the ranks from circulation director of the catalog department to director of catalogs for the music division and then to vice president of customer marketing in 2001. Previously, he worked in catalog management for the National Direct Marketing Corporation and the National Wildlife Federation. A native of Valencia, Spain, Miguel has an MBA in international marketing and finance from Adelphi University.

Bruce C. Belliveau
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, ACORN MEDIA GROUP INC.

Bruce Belliveau joined Acorn in November 2007 after holding senior positions in corporate financial management at Georgeson Shareholder Communications Inc., and investment banking and corporate finance positions at Prudential Securities Inc. and Dean Witter Reynolds, Inc. As an executive vice president and group CFO at Georgeson Shareholder, he was instrumental in growing the company from approximately $40 million to over $200 million in revenue and in extending the company’s global presence. In his career as a senior financial executive, he has become expert at corporate strategy and development, corporate governance, international management, financial analysis and reporting, and management of global multi-site operations. In addition to receiving an MBA in finance from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, Belliveau has completed a number of executive education programs, including the Executive Program for Growing Companies at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business and the Senior Executive Programme at London Business School. His professional certifications include Chartered Financial Analyst, Certified Management Accountant, and Certified Internal Auditor.

Mark Stevens
PRESIDENT, ACORN MEDIA U.S

Mark Stevens leads Acorn’s core division, drawing on a proven track record in media-related management, marketing, and strategic planning. Before joining Acorn in October 2007, he was senior vice president of AARP Services. Previously, he had a 23-year-career at Time Warner, rising to executive vice president of Time Life U.S., where he oversaw all U.S. business for the company. He was president of Time Life Music during its most dramatic upsurge in revenue growth and held several positions at Time Warner’s Home Box Office. A graduate of Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communications, Stevens also received a master’s degree in business from Columbia University.

Rozanne Hakala
Senior Vice President, Product Development, Acorn Media U.S.

Rozanne Hakala joined Acorn Media in 1994 to direct the Company’s growing communications needs, overseeing both marketing and product development. Hakala began her professional life in television production, and then moved to public television, first at station WETA in Washington, and later PBS, where she managed marketing and creative services for the home video division. She currently manages all of Acorn U.S.’s DVD authoring, package design, copywriting, and DVD release calendars.

Paul Holland
Managing Director, Acorn Media U.K.

Paul Holland has vast experience in the U.K.’s DVD and entertainment industry. He came to Acorn Media U.K. from Granada Ventures where he was director of publishing. Prior to that Holland worked in senior managerial and marketing positions with both EMI Records and BBC Worldwide. Holland was also director of publishing at Granada for six years.

Peter Smart
Acquisitions and Marketing Director, Acorn Media U.K.

Pete Smart joined the Acorn U.K. senior management team in 1998 coming from the public relations agency Media Communications where he managed key accounts. Previous positions include marketing manager for independent production company Taylor Made Films and international sales representative for Central Television.

LESLEY FROMANT
MANAGING DIRECTOR, ACORN MEDIA AUSTRALIA

After nearly a decade as the first managing director of Acorn’s U.K. division, Fromant returned to her native Australia to direct the 2007 launch of Acorn Media Australia. Before she joined Acorn, Fromant had already amassed 20 years of experience in the U.K.’s home video industry. She had been head of video at Central Television Enterprises (now ITV Worldwide), where she created the phenomenally successful Central Video label. Other industry experience includes positions with Video Trade Weekly, CBS/Fox, and video hardware distributor REW.

Peter Edwards
FOUNDER AND CHAIRMAN, ACORN MEDIA GROUP, INC.

Peter Edwards, founder and chairman of Acorn Media Group, has a broad background in communications. Before founding the company, his work in emerging communications technologies included consulting for cable companies such as Cablevision and Viacom during the major-city cable television franchising competitions of the 1980s. He also served as a consultant to the City of Reading, Pennsylvania, home of the world’s oldest two-way cable system. Also active in video production, he worked for the Washington bureau of NBC News and independently on a range of documentaries and music videos. Edwards has a master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School of Communications, where he focused on new communications technologies and markets.

John Lorenz
VICE CHAIRMAN, ACORN MEDIA GROUP, INC.

John Lorenz joined the company in 1991 to lead program acquisition and product development efforts. He had been director of program business affairs at PBS, responsible for all program licensing and production agreements as well as for administering PBS's corporate and foundation sponsorship guidelines. Earlier in his 14-year career at PBS, he was in charge of the program marketplace, the aggregate funding program for major series production.