MARTHA BURKE-HENNESSY
Currently a writer of murder mysteries based on the experience of twenty-five years as a senior executive in the international entertainment business, accumulating broad expertise in various broadcasting, distribution, and production companies in New York, London, Paris, and Los Angeles.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
A career in management concentrating on the creation, production, programming, and distribution of entertainment product to a worldwide market.
Management Restructuring and Strategic Long Range Planning: Recently focused on creating, structuring, and costing vigorous and entrepreneurial small and medium-sized companies or divisions. Analyzed and produced five and ten year strategic plans.
Production and Programming: Pioneered many forms of co-production at the beginning of career as the only English-speaker in a French company to expand their sales base outside the domestic market. Working in companies based in Paris, New York, Toronto, Montreal, London, and Los Angeles, developed and oversaw production and programming in several countries and languages.
Sales and Distribution: Even with appealing product, effective sales strategies are crucial to support those efforts and to build up equity. Deepened expertise and enthusiasm not only for the creation and placing of entertainment productions but also for the establishment and management of highly effective sales organizations. Faced the challenge of starting up international entertainment organizations and recreating successful companies from faltering ones.
PRESENT ACTIVITIES
Currently writing murder mysteries exploring issues of justice and corruption and friendship in the international television community of the 1980’s. The continuing main characters are Cassandra Ravenel, a distributor of television programs, and Olivier Sarnac, the French Commissaire of Police.
PAST ACTIVITIES
MBH Enterprises, Inc., New York, 1996-Present, President and CEO of an entertainment company servicing the international and domestic US market. Clients included Paramount, Your Choice TV, TCI/DISCOVERY, USA, Media Ventures, UK, TF1,France, Expand, France, CLT, Luxembourg, Film Odyssey, USA, American Programming Service, USA, the BBC, UK, MEDIAWORKS, US, The International Council of NATAS. Projects included:
executive producing Duke Ellington documentary
founding, devising programming and strategy, first CEO for The Mystery Channel
designing a new US broadcasting service
restructuring management and creating new organization charts
developing, researching, writing board papers for broadcaster
finding, negotiating, and scheduling programming in drama, news, and sports
creating business plans forming four new international entertainment companies
developing long term strategic plans for medium-sized entertainment companies
researching and developing new public television underwriting guidelines
MCA/Universal Studios, Los Angeles, New York, 1989-1995, Group Vice President, TV,
International Co-Productions, reporting to Chairman.
Initiated, developed, and oversaw all television co-production and co-ventures with international partners for all five divisions of TV Group: Universal Television, network series, MCA Television Entertainment, network, cable TV movies, MCA Television, domestic syndication, MCA International, sales, Universal Cartoon Studios. Reported to Group Chairman.
Developed first successful model for a German language sitcom format, COACH, for RTL. Breakthrough model partnership contract.
Created and developed pilot for first dual language primetime action/adventure series with French commercial TV TF1. On business and contractual side, supervised lawyers and business affairs executives at MCA and TF1, and creatively, oversaw production executives and writers in Los Angeles and Paris, LES AMAZONES, 1996.
Initiated and negotiated co-development, co-production, co-venture deals for TV series and movies with CLT, Luxembourg based entertainment conglomerate), CHANNEL SEVEN Australia, ATLANTIS, Canada, RTL, Germany, Melchers, Italy, HTV, UK, LWT, UK, Grundys Australia.
Before that worked at London Weekend Television, London, 1987-89, Executive VP, Director of Sales,
Viacom International, London, 1985-87, Managing Director
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, New York, 1983-1985, Managing Director
WNET/Thirteen, New York, 1980-83, Director of Acquisitions and Co-Productions
Seuil Audivisuel, Paris, 1975-80, Director, International Production and Sales
EDUCATION
Columbia University - Graduate Faculties, MA, Ph.D., European History.
Vassar College, BA, Honors