20-year industry veteran will be tasked with leading creative talent recruitment as the company continues a period of unprecedented growth; will also promote the studio’s community initiatives including mentorship and training programs for artists.
Guru Studio has announced the appointment of Jody Jessop as head of recruiting and community engagement. To support the studio’s continued rapid growth, Jessop will oversee recruitment of creative talent across all 2D and 3D productions. Reporting to president and executive creative director Frank Falcone, she will work closely with Guru’s producers and creative leads to find new opportunities for existing talent, and will continue to strengthen the company’s focus on diversity and inclusion. She will also champion Guru’s internal community initiatives such as mentorship and training programs for artists.
“Jody is one of a kind and we’ve been looking for a chance to work together for years,” commented Falcone. “She brings an incredible range of experience to Guru with years of production and artist management skills. As we continue to grow and evolve as a studio in this new work from home reality and beyond, Jody’s role is more important than ever as we look to secure the very best and most inspired creative talent.”
A 20-year veteran of the animation and VFX industries, Jessop has worked in senior production, recruiting, and artist management positions for studios such as Pixar Canada and Sony Pictures Imageworks in Vancouver, where she helped build the team that won the Golden Globe and Academy Award for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
The company is currently ramping up production on the upcoming CG animated series Mecha Builders for Sesame Workshop and HBO Max, new seasons of PAW Patrol, as well as its own originals Pikwik Pack now on Disney Junior and Treehouse in Canada, and Big Blue with CBC Kids. The studio was recently ranked as a top production company in the Kidscreen Hot50 Awards.
Source: Guru Studio
