User Profile

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivanakirkbride/

Ivana Kirkbride is a recognized thought leader in OTT video and new media, who successfully bridges entertainment and technology worlds with 20 years of experience at both scaled global platforms and disruptive startups. At Verizon, she served as the General Manager for OTT Entertainment products which included Verizon's go90. Ivana was responsible for overall P&L management, growth and scale of a suite of AVOD, SVOD and vMVPD products. For go90, she architected and launched go90 Networks which house 1,500 hours of original programming and 30,000 hours of live sports and television. During her tenure, Ivana repositioned a multibillion-dollar slate that includes production companies and major studios such as Film45 and Warner Brothers-- all while investing heavily in the next generation of creators like Anna Akana and Awkwafina. Through a targeted distribution strategy which included Verizon Media Group, she and her team produced 50x audience growth for go90. Under her leadership, she executed a focus on premium content which culminated in an Oscar win for best animated short film with Dear Basketball-- a landmark first for an ad-supported digital platform. Together with partners, go90 programming earned over 90 major award nominations with a 50%-win rate that includes the Oscar, Emmys, Rockies and more. Kirkbride has demonstrated an ability to predict and drive change in the content industry, pioneering a new format category - Premium Mid-Form-- which has been recognized by media outlets like Reuters and adopted by esteemed studios across the globe. Her story at Verizon is the culmination of years spent in leadership roles at players like Vessel and YouTube, which have uniquely placed her at the epicenter of moving billions of dollars into the digital space through groundbreaking content plays and key M&A investments. Ivana holds a B.S in Finance from the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia. She is a 2018 Henry Crown Fellow with the Aspen Institute and a member of the Producers Guild of America, the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and the NATPE NXTGN Board of Directors.