Interlude Hires Nancy Tellem As CMO, Executive Chairman

Interlude has added a new face to its internal leadership team. The interactive video production company has hired Nancy Tellem as its new Chief Media Officer and Executive Chairman.

As CMO and chairperson, Tellem will be in charge of leading the entire executive team at Interlude. She will also focus on developing relationships with Hollywood names and brands as Interlude looks to expand past its initial focus on creating interactive videos for the music industry.

Tellem comes to Interlude with a long history in the entertainment industry; the majority of her credentials stem from CBS and Microsoft. At CBS, she was President of the network’s Television Group and helped boost its ratings and reputation through shows like Survivor, CSI, and Everybody Loves Raymond.

Tellem then moved on to Microsoft to head the company’s Xbox Entertainment Studios online video venture. While the Studios had a promising lineup of shows set for production, Microsoft shuttered the entire initiative in July 2014. Tellem was later fired along with nearly 3,000 other Microsoft employees. Nevertheless, Tellem is ready to pick up her new role at Interlude.

“I believe Interlude is at the leading edge of entertainment; their videos have been watched, shared, re-watched and awarded, proving just how much viewers want to participate,” Tellem said in a release. “Their creative talent and mastery of interactive technology is a game changer and I look forward to extending Interlude’s reach to the entertainment industry by bringing film and television creators on board.”

“We are reimagining video for a generation that wants to do more than just watch passively, which is why we are focused on amazing experiences that are both playful and thought provoking,” said Yoni Bloch, founder and CEO at Interlude. “Nancy shares our passion and has the vision to build off our current success. We are very fortunate to have someone of her stature to guide our company’s growth.”

Founded in 2010, Interlude is responsible for creating Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone” interactive music video, which Interlude notes received over 70 million total views. The video company has also worked on Wiz Khalifa’s “Staying Out All Night,” a video to commemorate Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti album, and pop band AJR’s interactive video experience. Interlude is partnered with Warner Music Group to create a larger variety of video content, sponsorships, and distribution options for artists.