Turner ups Meraz & hires from NBCU

US media group Turner has promoted buyer Valerie Meraz to a senior VP role, and hired a talent exec from NBCUniversal-owned SVOD platform Fandango.

Valerie Meraz (pictured) has been upped from VP, programme acquisitions to SVP, content acquisitions and strategy for the TBS, TNT, truTV, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Boomerang, Turner Classic Movies and SVOD service FilmStruck.

The latter two platforms is also welcoming Susana Zepeda Cagan as VP, talent, who was previously head of talent and studio relations at Fandango.

Meraz will be based in Atlanta and report to executive VP of commercial operations, content strategy and monetisation for TBS and TNT Michael Quigley, who was in turn promoted the latter half of last year.

Zepeda Cagan will work out of LA and report to Pola Changnon, senior VP of marketing, brand creative and talent for TCM and FilmStruck.

Meraz will now oversee deals for movies and off-network television series. Since joining she has led negotiations to acquire Fox comedy Brooklyn Nine-Nine for TBS, Warner Bros.’s upcoming DC Comics films, and the entire Hunger Games and Divergent

“Over the past five years, Valerie has built a highly effective acquisitions team that has been aggressively filling Turner’s library with valuable content and representing the company in an extremely dynamic and rapidly changing marketplace,” said Quigley.

Meraz previously worked as VP, content acquisitions for Showtime Networks, and worked for Disney-owned film unit Buena Vista Motion Pictures Group.

Zepeda Cagan’s new role will see her overseeing all talent relations responsibilities, brand-related talent management, working on brand and programming initiatives and exploring new business opportunities for brands built around talent.

FilmStruck launched last year as Turner’s first direct-to-consumer OTT product.