EXCLUSIVE: Stephen and Simon Cornwell have taken on chairmen roles at their Night Manager indie The Ink Factory amid a wave of hires and promotions.
The Cornwells, whose father was iconic British spy author John le Carré, have promoted Creative Director Michelle Wolkoff to President and Chief Creative Officer, while Ian Spence becomes Chief Financial and Operating Officer.
Simon Cornwell becomes Executive Chairman, succeeding Rod Henwood, who remains on the board and becomes Deputy Chairman. Stephen Cornwell has taken on a Creative Co-Chairman role, providing creative and strategic support across the company’s slate and operations with a primary focus on the BBC and MGM+’s The Legacy of Spies, which he is showrunning.
Meanwhile, and with a new season of The Night Manager soon hitting the BBC and Prime Video, The Ink Factory has hired former NBC Universal International Studios production chief Laura Burrows as production boss, re-signed Amy Basil as Chief Marketing Officer for both The Ink Factory and John le Carré Estate, and brought in Bad Wolf’s Lachlan MacKinnon as EP across the slate. Sam Costin has been promoted to a Creative Producer post in recognition of his contribution as Co-EP on the first season of Legacy of Spies.
The Cornwells founded The Ink Factory in 2010 and have since made big hits like The Night Manager and A Most Wanted Man. Starring Matthew Macfadyen as iconic spymaster George Smiley, Legacy of Spies is anticipated to be the next big one.
Simon and Stephen Cornwell said: “Over sixteen years and counting, we have been custodians of both our father’s legacy through the adaptations The Ink Factory has made, as well as realising an array of work from the most compelling storytellers and filmmakers working today. We’re exhilarated by the possibilities that lie ahead and the opportunities for Michele and Ian – vital members of the Ink Factory family for many years now – to work alongside us as we continue to guide the direction of our future and broaden our scope and slate. We are also delighted to welcome Laura and Lachlan, and the returning Amy, to the team as we enter the next era of Ink.”
Wolkoff described her new role as a “unique privilege,” coming “at such an important moment for Ink Factory and to help shape the company’s next chapter.” “What John le Carré built is a world of ideas, attitudes, incredible characters, and tradecraft – through stories which artfully balance being both thrilling entertainment and a deep interrogation of the important questions of our time,” she added. “I am excited to continue exploring that world, in ways that expand what we understand adaptation to be.”