Stu Smith, formerly a top exec at charitable fundraising platform Omaze, has joined Fullscreen as VP of talent.
Smith starts at Fullscreen on Thursday (Aug. 23), reporting to Beau Bryant, GM of talent at Fullscreen. Based in Los Angeles, Smith will be tasked with developing strategic programs for Fullscreen’s talent clients.
Founded in 2011, Fullscreen started out as a multichannel network that aggregated YouTube channels and now counts 4,500 creator partners (down from as many as 75,000 affiliated creators three years ago). Fullscreen was acquired in 2016 by AT&T and Chernin Group’s joint venture, which they later dubbed Otter Media. Earlier this month, AT&T acquired full control of Otter Media.
Today, Fullscreen’s roster of clients includes the Dobre Brothers, Karina Garcia, Elle Mills, Aija Mayrock, Cody Ko, Lucas Cruikshank and Khadi Don.
“Stu offers a unique mix of operational expertise and innate understanding of the talent business, which is critical to fulfilling that mission,” Bryant said in announcing his hire. “Fullscreen’s mission to service the best digital talent from around the world at the highest levels continues to attract new and exciting executives.”
At Omaze, Smith was senior VP of business development and partnerships at Omaze, a startup that offers experiences in partnership with entertainment properties and celebrity talent to support different causes.
Before joining Omaze in November 2016, Smith was global head of music and entertainment at e-commerce platform Teespring and previously worked at CrowdSurge, a direct-to-consumer ticketing technology startup, which has since merged with Songkick. Earlier in his career, he spent four years at Red Light Management, an independent music management company. Smith, who hails from Winnetka, Ill., holds a bachelor’s degree in English writing from DePauw University.
Fullscreen provides a range of services and tools for digital influencers, including talent management, multiplatform content optimization, brand partnerships, live touring, and consumer products. The company also offers a consumer-facing technology platform that lets brands, talent and influencers create websites, online stores, and fan clubs, after acquiring startup StageBloc in 2016. This part spring, Fullscreen bought Reelio, an influencer-marketing firm.
