Asylum hires ITVSGE, UKTV alum Ronan Hand for UK office

Asylum Entertainment Group (AEG) has appointed former ITV Studios Global Entertainment (ITVSGE) exec Ronan Hand to head up its newly launched UK office in London.

Hand becomes senior VP of global content and is in charge of presenting IP from within the AEG family of companies to the international marketplace.

He will also lead AEG’s representation and partnership deals with global independent production companies to take their IP into the US.

Hand, who reports to Asylum CEO Steve Michaels, was most recently director of funding at UKTV and before that senior VP of global content at ITVSGE, where he supported both in-house and independent producers to finance shows such as Love Island.

AEG is behind shows including Catherine Zeta-Jones’ film Cocaine Godmother, The Kennedys starring Katie Holmes and Greg Kinnear, ESPN’s hit franchise 30 for 30 and the feature documentary Happy Valley.

The company bolstered its drama interests in May by launching scripted label Clovis Entertainment, which is run by former Sony Pictures Television exec Derek Stoops.

Michaels founded Asylum Entertainment in 2003 before selling it a decade later to Legendary Entertainment. In 2018 he bought the company back, placing it under his parent company The Content Group, which has been expanding its operations over recent months and named Jodi Flynn as president earlier this year.

Since starting with AEG, Hand has already struck deals with Phoenix Television led by Miles Jarvis and Jaimi West, adventure specialists Marshal Bishop as well as Brighton-based outfit Screendog Productions.

Michaels said: “Ronan is the perfect executive to expand Asylum’s interests throughout the world. He has a long and successful track record of acquiring content and creating meaningful international co-productions. Ronan is exceptional at maximizing the value of IP and growing the global footprint of capable producers.”

“The way Asylum works is in perfect match for what I do well; help content creators realise their ambitions,” added Hand. “On top of that, Steve and his team have an incredible appetite to succeed at the highest levels and more importantly the work ethic to match.”