Amazon MGM Studios is positioning this as an exciting evolution β embedding business affairs leaders directly into each division (Film, TV, International Originals) for faster decision-making and closer partnerships with creative teams.
Sources say the restructuring effectively pushes out Dan Scharf, who held the centralized BA power for over a decade. His departure clears the way for Peter Friedlander's Netflix crew to reshape operations in their image β Schaffer is his third major Netflix hire since joining Amazon last fall.
Mandy Schaffer spent nearly 12 years at Netflix, joining in 2014 as part of the team behind Orange Is the New Black and House of Cards. She starts at Amazon on June 8th as Head of Business Affairs, Global TV. Dan Scharf is leaving after over a decade leading global business operations.
When one door closes, another opens β but in Hollywood, it usually means someone's empire crumbles while someone else's expands. Friedlander is building his Netflix mafia inside Amazon MGM Studios, and Schaffer's hire signals the old guard's time is up.
Amazon MGM Studios just ripped up its organizational chart and handed out new titles like Halloween candy at a kids' party β with some executives getting promoted and one longtime leader shown the door. The studio announced major changes to its Business Affairs structure on May 12, splitting what was once a centralized BA operation into three separate teams embedded within Film, TV, and International Originals divisions. The move comes as Dan Scharf exits after more than a decade serving as Head of Global Business Operations β a position that apparently no longer fits the studio's new vision.
Courtenay Valenti (Head of Film), Peter Friedlander (Head of Global Television), and Nicole Clemens (Head of International Originals) jointly announced Scharf's departure in an internal memo, with Valenti offering public praise for his contributions. "For over a decade, he has brought clarity to complexity, steadiness in moments of uncertainty, and a deep commitment to doing right by our teams, our talent partners, and our business," Valenti wrote. "He will be missed." The departures don't end there.
In the same restructuring announcement, Bob Bowen (Worldwide Head of Music) and Michelle Ow (Head of Studio Ops & Strategy) will now report directly to Valenti, while Krista James (Head of Music Business Affairs) shifts to report to Bowen β another chess piece moved on the board. The most eyebrow-raising hire is Mandy Schaffer, who joins Netflix's former VP of Series Business Affairs for U.S. and Canada as Head of Business Affairs, Global TV, starting June 8th.
Schaffer spent nearly 12 years at Netflix, arriving in 2014 as part of the team behind some of the streamer's earliest original hits β Orange Is the New Black and House of Cards. Most recently, she oversaw teams across Scripted, Animated, Nonfiction, and Live Sports. Friedlander made sure everyone knew exactly whose fingerprints are on this hire.
"Mandy was one of the longest-serving Business Affairs executives at Netflix," he wrote in his announcement note. "Her ability to operate at the intersection of creative ambition and business strategy makes her an ideal addition to our leadership team." This marks Schaffer as the latest Netflix alumnus Friedlander has brought aboard since taking over as Head of Global TV last fall β joining existing hires Blair Fetter (Head of Worldbuilding & Genre Series) and Jenn Levy (Head of Unscripted TV).
Meanwhile, Craig Muhlrad β an internal Amazon candidate rather than a flashy external hire β takes on the newly created role of Head of Film Business Affairs, reporting directly to Valenti. "Craig has been an invaluable partner to us," Valenti wrote, "and I look forward to partnering even more closely." Unlike Schaffer's high-profile Netflix pedigree, Muhlrad's promotion appears to reward loyalty over star power β at least in the film division.
Until Schaffer officially starts on June 8th, Julia Shapiro will report directly to Friedlander as the interim point person for all TV Business Affairs matters. The transition period suggests Amazon isn't missing a beat even as leadership roles shuffle β but it also leaves room for last-minute complications if Shapiro's temporary tenure creates any friction. The restructuring signals Amazon MGM Studios is done with the old-school centralized model and is fully embracing a divisional approach where business affairs leaders operate as embedded strategists within each creative silo. Whether this produces faster deals or simply more bureaucracy remains to be seen β but one thing's clear: Friedlander is building his Netflix dream team, one veteran hire at a time.
