New York City— April 8, 2019—Derby today announces the appointment of Rebecca Niles as Executive Producer. Niles brings strong leadership, strategic vision and deep production experience. Her background includes a previous two-year stint with Derby as head of production plus prior work for brands including WeWork, ESPN, Nike, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Aruba Tourism Board and British Airways. She also produced a variety of content for Complex Networks such as Not Afraid: The Shady Records Story with Eminem, 50 Cent and Dr. Dre, plus hit shows Sneaker Shopping and Hot Ones. In her new role, she will grow Derby’s creative roster, expand opportunities for its directors, and partner with agencies and brands to create inspired content.
“Rebecca has tremendous passion and drive,” says Grupp. “She is smart, a great judge of directorial talent, and very skilled in running a company. She is also a perfect fit for the Derby culture. We are confident she will thrive in working with our directors and move the company forward.”
Niles says her appointment feels like “coming home.” “I’m excited to jump back into Derby and work with a roster of directors I know and love,” she says. “We share the same goal and have a common love for storytelling, film making and production. I take pride in surrounding myself with those who enjoy the work they do and are committed to delivering excellence.”
Niles has produced projects spanning traditional advertising, branded content, and feature films and shot in locations around the world. “We’re at a cool time where the folks I came up with are at a shining star level, and I get to hire them to lead departments for our clients’ work,” she says. “Derby’s mentality is to make it work from a strategy standpoint. We know who to call for each job without compromising quality. We don’t dwell on ‘the good old days’ of production, because the way things are now is all we know. We are fully equipped and prepared for success in this ever-changing industry.”
Derby’s roster currently includes Away Lands, Catherine Orchard, Emily Elizabeth Thomas, Josh Hayward, Roberto Serrini, Ryan Balas and Shomi Patwary. Derby has also secured new sales representation on the West Coast through Devine Reps with Sara Barnthouse and Steven Cook, and continues in the Midwest with rep Robin Stevens. Recent work under Niles includes an Ad Council campaign for “Save The Food” and a Hilton Hotels campaign with GSD&M Austin. Additionally, Derby produced the beloved PSA fashion film ‘Heatwave’ with director Grant Greenberg for V Magazine and Keep America Beautiful, featuring a star-studded cast and music track by Lizzo.
Along with attracting new talent, Niles seeks to explore a wider range of opportunities in partnership with agencies and brands. “We want to engage with clients on a variety of levels,” she insists. “Brands today have many options for telling their stories, and we are excited to join the conversation and work in all formats within the expansive creative realm of our directors.”
Niles seeks to exploit Derby’s strengths, which she sees as its mix of innovative, young talent, and diverse production experience. “Our roster is dynamic and we have a proven track record of excellent work at all scales,” she observes. “People love to work with us. We don’t take ourselves too seriously, and always make room for laughs throughout the day. When it comes down to it, we do really great work. Our creative opportunities continue to grow as we gain more recognition, but our production chops are fully developed. We execute above and beyond and balance championing our directors, agencies, clients and logistics very well.”
About Derby
Derby is a production company representing storytellers and directing talent known for its collaborations with top ad agencies, brands and broadcast networks in executing flawless, full-service productions across both traditional advertising and emerging experiential media. The company has built a solid reputation for diverse creative work, thanks to a roster of uniquely talented, multi-hyphenate, contemporary directors whose skills extend to a variety of roles.
Contact
Rebecca Niles
Executive Producer
149 5th Avenue, 12th Floor
New York, NY 10010
212.375.1240