Gerry Byrne, Vice Chairman, PMC (Penske Media Corp)
PMC owns leading entertainment and digital media brands that include Variety, Deadline Hollywood, Hollywood Life, TVLine. ENTV and India.com (partnered with Zee TV). Additionally, Byrneâs media and entertainment consultancy, Fidelis Global Enterprises, launched in January, 2010, has partnerships, clients and board seats that include film financing newco Magic Storm Entertainment (with China based Ricco Capital and Stan Leeâs POW! Entertainment); 212 Media; David Clark Cause; Recognition Media (parent of the Webby Awards); and, Washington Life Magazine where he serves as Executive Chairman. Byrneâs decades of accomplishments as a media executive, entrepreneur and community leader are highlighted by a long time run as publisher of Variety where he dramatically transformed that business into a powerful, diversified, global media brand.
The start-up publisher of both Electronic Media and Crainâs New York Business, Byrne also successfully created The Quill Awards for NBC before he led a division of Nielsen that included The Hollywood Reporter, Billboard. Adweek and Backstage.
A staunch believer in âparticipationâ, Mr. Byrne is on the boards of numerous not-for-profits including Fisher House, The Intrepid Museum, VeteransAdvantage, The Bob Woodruff Foundation, The Fisher Center for Alzheimerâs Research, The Creative Coalition, The Hamptons International Film Festival (Advisory Board), The Reisenbach Foundation (Chairman), The Armory Foundation and The New York City Police Museum. He is also on the U. S. Advisory Council of the IESE Business School, University of Navarra in Barcelona and is on the Board of Overseers of the Fordham University Graduate Business School. In November 2012, Mr. Byrne also launched, as Founder/Chairman, the first ever Veterans Week NYC, a series of events dedicated to honoring and supporting veterans and their families. Mr. Byrne was awarded the âSalah M. Hassanein Humanitarian Awardâ at ShowEast â96, New Yorkâs Elaine Kaufman Cultural Centerâs 2002 Distinguished Service Award and the NYPD Marine Corps Association 2002 âSemper Fiâ Award for his work in the community. And in June 2009, NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg presented Mr. Byrne the âMade in NYâ Award for his support of the Gothamâs entertainment and media industries. Mr. Byrne is a member of The British Academy of Film & Television Arts, The New York Athletic Club, The Quogue Field Club (Elected a Governor), Laurel Links Country Club and The Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick.
A 1966 graduate of Fordham College, Mr. Byrne served as a Marine Officer in Vietnam in 1968/69 and was awarded the Navy Achievement Medal with Combat V.
