Kelly Day to Oversee Prime Video’s International Originals Following Jen Salke Departure

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It’s up to Kelly Day to locate the next Squid Game for Amazon Prime Video. To be more precise, she will be responsible for this task along with the VP of International Originals that she selects in the future.

After the departure of Jen Salke last week, Day has now taken over as head of the international teams responsible for Amazon’s Prime Video Originals. This news was communicated to staff on Friday morning through an email from Mike Hopkins, who is in charge of both Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios.

Last week Jen Salke left her position, and now Day has been appointed as the boss of the international teams responsible for creating original shows and movies for Amazon Prime Video. This change was announced to everyone by Mike Hopkins, who is in charge of both Amazon Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios.

Moving forward in her professional journey, Salke, who previously held the position of President of Entertainment at NBC, is set to launch a fresh production company. This new venture will secure a comprehensive first-look agreement encompassing both movies and television series with Amazon Studios.

As Day looks for her lieutenant, her leadership team will consist of Javiera Balmaceda (leader of international originals in Latin America, Canada, and Australia), Tara Erer (in charge of international originals in Northern Europe), Nicole Morganti (responsible for international originals in Southern Europe), Nikhil Madhok (overseeing international originals in India), and Marc Hausmaninger (head of content strategy for international originals).

Today’s organizational change marks the initial structure decision made by Hopkins following Salke’s departure. Here is Hopkins’ internal communication, exclusively obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, as follows:

(Alternative Phrase)
Today’s staff rearrangement signifies the first move in the organizational hierarchy that Hopkins has undertaken post-Salke’s resignation. Kindly find Hopkins’ internal notice, procured by The Hollywood Reporter, underneath.

Hi there! As a devoted fan, I can’t help but express my admiration for the phenomenal success of International Originals since their debut in 2016. Shows like The Grand Tour, Mirzapur, and Last One Laughing have significantly contributed to our global expansion by captivating audiences and drawing new customers from over 20 countries worldwide. These local productions have been a vital cornerstone of our international growth strategy.

Over the past 18 months, a multitude of international originals have made an unprecedented impact on viewers, especially resonating with young adult audiences. Notable movies such as “Culpa Mia”, “Culpa Tuya” and “Apocalypse Z” have shattered global streaming records for non-English content on Prime Video. Series like “Maxton Hall”, “Clarkson’s Farm”, “Citadel Honey Bunny”, “Citadel Diana”, “Red Queen”, “Marry My Husband” and “Betty La Fea” have demonstrated a robust global demand for international programming, indicating that our narratives are traversing borders more than ever. Significantly, these titles enrich the quality content we offer to global customers, attract new viewers to Prime Video as we expand internationally, and help us fulfill our goal of being the premier destination for entertainment worldwide.

We’re thrilled about the worldwide success of our International Originals, but we’re even more eager for what lies ahead. In 2025, we have the third installment of Mercedes Ron’s Culpables trilogy (Culpa Nuestra – Spain) set to premiere on Prime Video, as well as the first movie from her Dímelo book trilogy in development. We can also look forward to new seasons of popular shows such as Maxton Hall (Germany), Clarkson’s Farm (UK), Red Queen (Spain), and Betty La Fea (Colombia). Additionally, upcoming projects like Newtopia (Korea), Superboys of Malegaon (India), Graduation Trip: Mallorca (Spain), Costiera (Italy) fill us with optimism for the future of this aspect of our business.

In my recent communication to the team, I discussed some adjustments in our reporting structure due to Jen’s departure. One key change is that Kelly Day (Vice President of Prime Video International) will now be responsible for managing our International Originals teams. I have confidence that she will maintain and build on the outstanding progress we’ve made so far. Kelly will spearhead the recruitment process for a new Vice President of International Originals, who will report to her directly. For the time being, leaders within our International Originals division such as Javiera Balmaceda (Head of International Originals, Latin America, Canada & Australia), Tara Erer (Head of International Originals, Northern Europe), Nicole Morganti (Head of International Originals, Southern Europe) will report directly to Kelly. Nikhil Madhok (Head of International Originals, India) will continue to report to Gaurav Gandhi (VP, Prime Video APAC & MENA). Additionally, Marc Hausmaninger (Head of Content Strategy, International Originals) will join the extended leadership team.

I’d like to express my gratitude to every team member of International Originals, who consistently provide meaningful content for our worldwide clientele. I’m looking forward to the future and all the exciting things it holds!

Mike

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2025-04-04 19:54