Entertainment One set to pick Allan Leighton as new chairman
CITY heavyweight Allan Leighton is in line to take the top job at media group Entertainment One, it emerged last night.
The ex-Royal Mail chairman and former Asda chief executive is reported to be preparing to take the job at the business which co-owns television sensation Peppa Pig, and which backed the Twilight film series.
The appointment, reported last night by Sky News, would be another boost for the company which is already enjoying a period of strong growth.
It joined the FTSE250 earlier this summer, and its shares are up by almost 40 per cent on the year.
It has also grown strongly through acquisitions. It bought Canadian film distributor Alliance Films last year, for instance, a firm which owns rights to titles including Lord of the Rings and The Hunger Games, reinforcing its strong market position.
A spokesperson for Entertainment One last night declined to comment on the position of the group’s board.
Allan Leighton – who coined the term “going plural” – also chairs jewellery firm Pandora and television accessory business Pace.