Specialty distributor Fathom Entertainment CEO Ray Nutt has shared with the company’s Board of Directors his plans to step down from his role and retire later this year after serving as the company’s lead executive for the past nine years.
Currently anticipated to depart Fathom later this year, Nutt is expected to play an active role in assisting the Board in its search for a replacement top executive and will seek to ensure a smooth leadership transition at the company.
Fathom Entertainment’s principal ownership stake is held co-equally by the world’s three largest theatrical operators, AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc., Cinemark Holdings, Inc. and Regal Cineworld.
Adam Aron, Chairman and CEO, AMC Entertainment commented, “Ray Nutt’s longtime leadership of Fathom Entertainment has delivered meaningful benefits to AMC, the broader theatrical exhibition industry, and, most importantly, moviegoers nationwide. Under his direction, Fathom has further strengthened its position as the leading force in alternative theatrical experiences, broadening the scope of content available to AMC guests. I am grateful for his partnership and confident that Fathom will continue to deliver compelling programming that resonates with our audience.”
Eduardo Acuna, CEO of Regal Cineworld, commented, “Ray Nutt has been an exceptional leader for Fathom, and it’s been a privilege to work alongside him over the years. Under his guidance, the company has evolved into a real innovator in theatrical distribution that has expanding audience expectations of the big screen. We’re grateful for Ray’s leadership, his partnership, and the lasting impact he has made on the industry. I’m confident the business is well positioned for continued growth and success, and we look forward to supporting the team in its next exciting chapter.”
Sean Gamble, President and CEO of Cinemark commented, “Throughout his career, Ray Nutt has been a well-respected advocate for theatrical exhibition, and his work at Fathom Entertainment has played an important role in bringing a wide range of non-traditional stories and events to movie theaters. His leadership at Fathom helped steer a valuable part of the industry ecosystem, expanding opportunities to experience alternative programming on the big screen and connecting theaters with new and diverse audiences. We greatly appreciate Ray’s contributions, wish him well on his next chapter, and look forward to our strong continued partnership with Fathom for years to come.”
Nutt joined Fathom as CEO in 2017 after previously serving on the company’s Board of Directors while serving as Senior Vice President of Business Relations at Regal Entertainment Group (now Regal Cineworld).
“Serving as Fathom Entertainment’s Chief Executive Officer for these past nine years of transformational growth at the company has been an honor, a privilege, and the professional opportunity of a lifetime after my near four-decade career in the theatrical movie business,” said Nutt. “I wish to thank the unparallelled leadership team at Fathom, our talented and hard-working employees at Fathom for their unwavering commitment and dedication, and the Board for the opportunity and support.”
Nutt continued, “Now is the right time for me to begin the process of stepping down from a full-time executive role and transition to retirement, while also an opportune inflection point in the history of Fathom Entertainment to find its next leader. Fathom stands at the precipice of a terrific new chapter in its growth and evolution as a leader in the theatrical distribution business; illustrated by its recent selection by LAIKA to take the brilliant, upcoming new feature film, Wildwood, to theatres nationwide this October.”
Achieving remarkable revenue growth with operational discipline during his tenure, Nutt led the transformation and rebranding from Fathom Events, a primarily events-based distributor for cinemas, to Fathom Entertainment, the leading specialty distributor in the U.S. theatrical marketplace, with major motion picture distribution capabilities.
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