Diversity Awards Dinner

Chris Albrecht is the President & Chief Executive Officer of Starz. Upon joining Starz in January 2010, Mr. Albrecht led the evolution of the Starz premium pay TV business with an aggressive plan to dramatically increase the company’s investment in proprietary and licensed original programming. Through financial discipline and creative partnerships with international content partners, he has elevated Starz globally with scripted series including “Power,” “Outlander,” “American Gods,” “Vida,” “The Girlfriend Experience,” “Black Sails” “Ash vs Evil Dead,” and the upcoming “Now Apocalypse.”

Prior to Starz, Mr. Albrecht was the President of IMG Global Media, heading the company’s diverse businesses including global sports production operations, global rights acquisitions and digital media enterprises.

Previously Mr. Albrecht was the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of HBO, and President of HBO Original Programming. He transformed the company from a movie focused television service into a worldwide leader in original programming. His tenure at HBO was noted for changing the television landscape by creating critically acclaimed series, including “Sex and the City,” “The Sopranos,” “Six Feet Under,” “Deadwood,” “Band of Brothers,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and “Entourage,” along with dozens of other programs.  As President of HBO Independent Productions, Albrecht guided the development and production of comedy series for distribution, including “Martin” and “Everybody Loves Raymond.”

Prior to HBO, Mr. Albrecht spent five years at International Creative Management where he signed and represented top comedians including Jim Carrey, Eddie Murphy, Billy Crystal and Whoopi Goldberg. He also co-owned the famed Improvisation Comedy Club in New York City from 1975 to 1980.

Mr. Albrecht has been a long-time advocate for youth, the homeless, children’s health and environmental issues and has been a catalyst in focusing the entertainment industry on these causes.

Mr. Albrecht co-founded Comic Relief, which in 20 years raised more than $50 million to benefit the homeless. For a decade, he raised funds for Los Angeles’ Shelter Partnership by enlisting celebrities including George Carlin, Bill Maher and Lewis Black.

Mr. Albrecht also founded and chaired the Rally to Save Ahmanson Ranch, 3,000 acres of pristine California wilderness threatened by commercial development. In partnership with the NRDC, Heal the Bay, the Sierra Club and other organizations, this effort succeeded in preventing development of the land and turning it into a State Park. Heal the Bay honored Albrecht with its “Walk the Talk Award” for his leadership in saving Ahmanson Ranch.

The Los Angeles Mentoring Project recognized Albrecht with its Stand Up for Mentoring Award for his involvement with several youth mentoring programs.

Albrecht co-chaired a $250 million fundraising campaign for Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles.

Albrecht currently serves on The Paley Center for Media Los Angeles Board of Governors.

Nahnatchka Khan is the Creator and Executive Producer for the television show Fresh Off the Boat. Prior to that, she was the creator and Executive Producer of Don’t Trust the B—- In Apartment 23, which aired for two seasons on ABC, from 2011-2012. Before creating her own series, she served as an Executive Producer on the FOX animated show American Dad. She is in post-production on the feature film ALWAYS BE MY MAYBE starring Ali Wong and Randall Park, which she directed for Netflix.

Melvin Mar, Executive Producer, began his career at Dreamworks SKG, Scott Rudin Productions, where he built a relationship with Orange County director Jake Kasdan. They have since worked together on films including The TV Set, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, Bad Teacher, Sex Tape, JUMANJI: Welcome to the Jungle and the hit television comedy New Girl.

Besides serving as executive producer on ABC’s Fresh Off the Boat and Speechless, Mar served as an executive producer on Weird Loners and The Grinder for FOX. Mar and Kasdan are developing comedies and dramas for cable and network television at Twentieth Century Fox Television.

Mar lives in Los Angeles with his family and is a lifelong Lakers fan, despite the last eight seasons of complete heartbreak.