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Wow! - Fred Seibert Resigns from WOW! and Frederator

Founder and now former CEO of famed animation studio steps down, will continue with companies’ current and future projects as an independent producer.

Long-time animation industry veteran Fred Seibert has resigned his position as a director and chief creative officer of WOW!, as well as CEO of Frederator, the studio he founded and has run since 1997. The move is effective as of November 27, 2020; he will continue to work with the company on current and future projects as an independent producer.

Michael Hirsh, chief executive officer of WOW! will take on the leadership of Frederator, serving as its CEO, and Neil Chakravarti, COO of WOW!, will become COO of Frederator. These changes are effective immediately.

To ensure a successful transition, Seibert will stay involved as an executive producer on current major Frederator projects, Castlevania and Bee & PuppyCat; he also intends to partner with the company on other upcoming projects.

Back in 2017, Rainmaker Entertainment bought Frederator and as part of the transaction, changed it’s name to WOW! Unlimited Media. Hirsch, the former DHX Media exec and Nelvana Limited and Cookie Jar Entertainment co-founder, became CEO and chairman of the board; Seibert joined as COO.

“I’m happy to have brought Frederator into the WOW! family where I know it will continue to grow and thrive,” Seibert said. “I am looking forward to returning to my roots as an independent cartoon producer who’s constantly searching – and finding! – unique talents with original voices. I’ll continue to collaborate with the Frederator/WOW! Team on projects going forward as we both share the same passion that goes into this great field of animation entertainment.”

“As we look to the future, we will continue to provide fans with beloved Frederator franchises, alongside new and exciting content from the over 3,000-strong Channel Frederator Network,” added Hirsh. “We wish Fred the best in his next, independent venture, and look forward to continuing to work with him on projects we know our fans will love as we drive dynamic growth in the business.” 

Source: WOW! Unlimited Media, Inc.