MGM has hired veteran public relations executive Katie Martin Kelley, formerly a long-time publicity leader at Paramount, as the studio’s chief communications officer, effective immediately, MGM announced Tuesday.
Martin Kelley will report directly to the company’s chief operating officer Christopher Brearton, and work closely with Nancy Tellem, executive director, Mark Burnett, chairman of MGM’s television group, and Jonathan Glickman, president of MGM Studios’ Motion Picture Group. In her new role, she’ll be responsible for communications across corporate, film, television, global sales and distribution and digital and social media.
Martin Kelley previously spent nearly 12 years at Paramount Pictures overseeing domestic theatrical publicity, but she left the studio in 2017. Most recently, she served as publicity consultant for Plan B Entertainment on their films “Beautiful Boy,” “If Beale Street Could Talk,” and “Vice.” She also consulted for Higher Ground Productions.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Katie to MGM, and look forward to benefiting from her many years of experience as a leading communications and publicity professional,” Brearton said in a statement. “Katie truly understands MGM’s mission to be Hollywood’s leading independent content company. With her unmatched knowledge of the industry, I am confident that she will be an invaluable addition to our leadership team as we continue to execute on our strategic growth plans.”
At Paramount, Martin Kelley was responsible for the campaigns for films such as “Transformers,” “Star Trek,” “Paranormal Activity,” “Mission: Impossible,” “Jackass,” “Jack Reacher,” “Daddy’s Home,” “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” and the “G.I Joe” series of films. She led awards campaigns for “Arrival,” Denzel Washington’s “Fences,” Jason Reitman’s “Up in the Air,” David O. Russell’s “The Fighter,” Joel & Ethan Coen’s “True Grit,” Martin Scorsese’s “Hugo” and “The Wolf of Wall Street,” Ava DuVernay’s “Selma,” Adam McKay’s “The Big Short,” and Alexander Payne’s “Nebraska.” She also worked on multiple animated films, including “Rango” and “The Adventures of Tin Tin.”
Martin Kelley also oversaw corporate communications on behalf of the studio, reporting to chairman and CEO Brad Grey. In her corporate role, she worked with all divisions of the studio to support and execute the studio’s ongoing communication objectives.