Denise Parkinson Joins Variety in Senior International Business Post

Denise Parkinson has been appointed to a senior international business position at Variety, where she will lead development and marketing initiatives for global markets. Operating from London, Parkinson brings a wealth of experience spanning the full spectrum of entertainment and media marketing and sales. In this new capacity, she will guide the expansion of Variety's For Your Consideration (FYC) awards campaigns in the U.K. and other international territories, reporting directly to Chief Operating and Marketing Officer Dea Lawrence.

Dea Lawrence expressed strong confidence in the appointment, stating, "Denise Parkinson is uniquely qualified to provide Variety with a greater advantage in the international territories, particularly in connection with our FYC Awards business, with her deep industry relationships combined with her sales and marketing acumen." Lawrence added, "We are thrilled that she is bringing her dynamic energy and creativity to our growing global team as the overseas market continues to play a formidable role in our business strategy." This strategic hire underscores the increasing importance of international markets to media companies, as global box office and streaming subscriptions now frequently outpace domestic growth.

Parkinson joins Variety from Allied Global Marketing, where she held the position of Vice President of Business Development and Client Solutions, collaborating with major film studios, festivals, and leading streaming platforms. Her extensive career includes roles with prominent brands such as Artificial Eye/Curzon, Bauer Media, Disney/ABC/ESPN, Yahoo, The Telegraph, and One Football. She has also directed conference programming for major industry events like Mipcom and MipTV, as well as festivals in Cannes, Rome, and Monte Carlo. Her career began in marketing at the influential independent production and distribution company Palace Pictures, known for releasing early works by directors like Pedro Almodóvar.

Expressing her enthusiasm for the new role, Parkinson said, "It is an honor and a privilege to join the rich legacy and world-class journalism of team Variety. It is the opportunity of a lifetime to drive Variety’s continued global expansion and metamorphosis." She also highlighted her personal connection to the publication, noting, "Personally, Variety has always been my number one trusted source for all entertainment news. I learn from it, I am entertained by it and never go a day without reading it."

Beyond her corporate roles, Parkinson is deeply involved in the industry community. She is a long-standing member of BAFTA and a Vice Patron of the Film and TV Charity. Her leadership extends to serving as a non-executive director of London’s historic Regent Street Cinema—the venue where the Lumière brothers first showed moving pictures in Britain—and as a patron and non-executive for the TVE Global Sustainability Awards in Film, reflecting a growing industry focus on environmental responsibility.