Industry Pro: Director, Strategic Initiatives & Analysis Andrea Amico

YII reached out to Andrea because his business and finance background isn’t what most people think about when they are considering entertainment career paths. But Andrea’s job puts him in a unique position to help shape the future of the industry by dealing with issues that are at the heart of how money is made from the entertainment content that is being produced. 

 

Current position:  Director, Strategic Initiatives & Analysis. A long way to say “internal consultant.” My group serves all divisions within NBC-Universal to help improve their strategy or execution. Recent projects include fighting piracy, developing new windowing strategies (the scheduling of a movie’s release on different platforms such as theatrical, video, DVD, on-demand), determining the right approach and product mix for digital distribution (what products you want to put out on what platforms and with which business model- iTunes, Hulu, other online and mobile outlets), freeing up cash flow, and reducing the cost of several goods and services we purchase.

 

College & degree:  I have two Masters in Engineering (one in Italy, one in Sweden) and an MBA from Columbia, NY. 

 

Internship:  During my Summer break in Business School, I worked with a NY-based angel investor who was an Executive Vice President at CBS and at FOX. (He was one of the main players behind the creation of FOX News.) I learned a lot from him and he continues to be a good friend and a mentor now.

 

First job in the entertainment industry:  Officially, 9 months ago when I joined NBC Universal, but I served media clients for several years before that, when I was at McKinsey and Company, one of the largest and most prestigious management consulting companies. 

 

Big break:  Sitting with the CEO of a large credit card company and walking him through a proposed acquisition. He ”signed the check” 20 minutes into the conversation. I was one year out of college and felt like a million bucks. 

 

Eureka moment:  Meeting a woman in St Lucia. She’s a Hollywood agent and I was a consultant in NY. I moved to LA in three months, got engaged one month after that and married her four months ago. 

 

Describe a typical work day in your current position:  Given my role, I get to work on typically two to six projects at the same time, each lasting no more than six months, so no two days are alike. There is always a lot of Excel and PowerPoint involved. And lots of meetings, listening to problems, proposing solutions, and getting buy-in.

 

Worst day in entertainment industry:  Nothing so bad that is worth ruminating on. (I wish more people shared the same perspective.)

 

Best day in entertainment industry:  Tomorrow.

 

Best thing about your current job:  I get to work with a lot of different people on several important issues. It’s great to be involved on all the “big questions” this industry is facing as we are transitioning in a more global and digital age.

 

Worst thing about your current job:  My hours are not as long as they were in McKinsey, but I still find myself being consistently one of the last people leaving the building.

 

Brush with greatness:  I have often been the least smart person in the room. It’s always a great learning experience and I feel very lucky that so many great people shared their knowledge, wisdom (and sometimes razor-sharp remarks) with me. 

 

Secret of your success/advice to the newbie:  Surround yourself with people smarter than you are that are willing to coach you. Don’t be afraid to stretch yourself. Let your work speak for itself and at the same time don’t miss the opportunity to ask for what you want.

 

Next move: People in my group (and in similar groups across the industry) typically move to a more “operational” (finance, operations, marketing, sales, etc.) role in a couple of years, often working for a former “internal client” or launching newly identified businesses. I’d also like to be CEO of my own company (whatever widget it will make). Sooner or later… 

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