Brian spent 12 years at Variety, one of the entertainment industry's preeminent global entertainment news organizations, serving as the organization's President & Publisher for almost half a decade. During his tenure, and in addition to his responsibilities managing the 100+ year old iconic Hollywood brand, he spearheaded the launch of Variety's philanthropic efforts, which in just a 4-year span generated more than $6M in charitable contributions, benefitting more than 50 non-profit organizations.
Brian received the United Nations Foundation's highest civil honor, the Global Leadership Award, for his role in mobilizing the entertainment industry to use its collective resources to support UN and UN Foundation-related campaigns. He served as host for the United Nation's World Malaria Day at UN headquarters in New York City with the Secretary-General, and has been an active supporter of marquee UN events including World Humanitarian Day. He also had the opportunity to spend time on the ground at Kakuma Refugee Camp in northern Kenya, with the UN and the UNHCR, to experience first-hand the critical work being done by the UN Foundation's Nothing But Nets malaria prevention campaign. He considers that experience a defining moment in his choice to anchor his life's work in social-impact storytelling, and humanitarian endeavors.
In May 2023 he was the recipient of a special honor from the Center for Disease Control and the CDC Foundation, for his efforts around rallying the creative community to support critical health issues facing Americans today, ranging from the CDC's response to Covid-19 and the zika virus to its work with birth defects and developmental disabilities.
Brian serves as the head of content and production for the Entertainment Industry Foundation, focusing as the in-house producer for EIF’s robust slate of content initiatives, including its national television broadcasts and PSAs. EIF has been one of the most trusted and turned-to philanthropic institutions for the entertainment industry for almost 90 years. As one of the top 50 foundations in America in terms of size and impact (Forbes, Dec. 2024), with more than a half-billion dollars under management, EIF raises awareness and funds for critical health, educational and social issues by harnessing the collective power of the entertainment community. The organization has raised more than $2B in charitable contributions through its world-class philanthropic endeavors, including programs such as Stand Up 2 Cancer, the SoCal Fire Fund, the People’s Fund of Maui, the Career Pathways Program and Defy Disaster. EIF also serves as the fiscal sponsor for the charitable endeavors of more than 30 of the most recognized and active individuals in the creative and sports industries.
In the Spring of 2020 he produced ‘Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020’ for EIF, in collaboration with Laurene Powell Jobs’ XQ Institute and LeBron James’ Springhill Entertainment. The purpose of the show was to recognize and honor the more than 3 million American high school graduates who would not be able to have their own graduation ceremonies due to the Covid-19 global pandemic. The telecast included a commencement address from former President Barack Obama, musical performances from artists including Alicia Keys and the Jonas Bros, and words of inspiration from individuals such as Malala, Timotheé Chalamet and Zendaya. Graduate Together was a primetime, 1 hour, commercial-free "roadblock" broadcast. The show aired simultaneously across 46 broadcast networks, streamers and digital platforms. The full broadcast was watched live by 21.8 million viewers (making it one of the most viewed special programming events of 2020), and clips of the broadcast have been viewed more than one billion additional times. Brian earned a 2021 George Foster Peabody Award nomination for producing the telecast.
In the Fall of 2022 he served as co-producer for ABC/Hulu’s ‘Norman Lear: 100 Years of Magic and Laughter’ special, again on behalf of EIF. In July 2023 that program received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for outstanding variety special.
Brian is also a partner at the entertainment production company Fezziwig Studios. Founded by 4X Emmy and Peabody-winning producer Dan Angel (Goosebumps, Haunting Hour, Door to Door), Fezziwig Studios is committed to entertaining families with the highest quality movies and series. The company primarily focuses on the acquisition and adaptation of popular book franchises. In March of 2022 Fezziwig released ‘Rescued By Ruby’ for Netflix. The film is the true-life story of a dog adopted from a shelter that goes on to become the Humane Society’s police K-9 unit dog of the year. The film received overwhelming critical and audience praise. It was one of Netflix’s highest-rated originals on IMDb for 2022, and earned a best picture nomination from the Leo’s, Kidscreen, Movieguide and Satellite Awards.
The most recent film that Brian served as an Executive Producer on was adaptation of the hugely popular young adult novel, ‘Out Of My Mind’ for Disney+. The story follows a young girl with cerebral palsy, who is restricted to a wheelchair and cannot speak. When she finally receives a medi-talker and is able to share her thoughts and feelings verbally for the first time in her life, she proves that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover...because sometimes disabilities are only skin-deep. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival (Jan. 2024) as an official selection. USA Today published a ranked-list of the best 2024 Sundance films at the conclusion of the festival, and listed ‘Out of My Mind’ as #7. The film stars Jennifer Aniston, Judith Light, Rosemary DeWitt, Luke Kirby and breakout star Phoebe Rae-Taylor, and premiered on Disney+ Thanksgiving 2024. ‘Out of My Mind’ has a 100% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, and a 96% audience score. It has received numerous award nominations and wins, including best picture and best actress for the Critics Choice Awards (noms), best screenplay for the Writers Guild Awards (nom) and best director for the Director’s Guild Awards (win). In May 2025 the film won two of the industry’s most prestigious recognitions - earning Brian both a George Foster Peabody Award and the Television Academy Honors, given by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
Brian serves as an adjunct professor at Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film & Media Arts. In May 2025, Chapman’s film and television program was ranked #4 by The Hollywood Reporter in its annual listing of America’s best universities with media programs.
Brian previously launched and led the Burkle Global Impact Initiative at UCLA’s Burkle Center for International Relations, where he was its Director for 8 years. That program’s purpose was to work with the entertainment industry to engage more deeply with global social, humanitarian, and advocacy issues. The program provided access to resources, funding, partners and experts so that storytellers could be better equipped to tell more fact-based stories, and educate their audiences on real-world issues.
He has produced/distributed more than 200 celebrity-driven PSAs for various high-profile organizations, including the Alzheimer’s Association, the USO, the Elton John AIDS Foundation, Americares, the Kids Mental Health Foundation, the World Food Program, the Veterans Administration, Save the Children, the CDC and the UN.
He is a member of the Academy of Televisions Arts and Sciences (ATAS - producers branch), and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA).
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