Corus Entertainment has announced that Michael Hirsh, founding partner and CEO of Nelvana Ltd., is stepping down from his post, although he will remain with the company in an advisory capacity. Hirsh started Nelvana in 1971 with his two founding partners, Patrick Loubert and Clive Smith, who had both left the company at the end of 2001. Nelvana was sold to Corus Entertainment in 2000. "No other company is better positioned to lead the industry into the next decade and I look forward to working with my successor to ensure Nelvana's continued success," said Hirsh. "I plan to spend my time building even stronger rapport with our customers, developing new animated series and the next children's television hit, and helping to implement a plan to meet the challenges presented by the recent structural changes in our industry." No replacement for Hirsh has been named, although Corus has plans to announce executive appointments for Nelvana in the coming weeks.
