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Verve’s Bill Weinstein
Randall Slavin
Literary agency Verve has parted ways with CEO Bill Weinstein.
“We thank Bill as a co-founder and for his 14 years of service and wish him nothing but success in his future,” Verve leadership said in a statement Monday.
The agency gave no reason, although the decision “was made after careful deliberation by Verve leadership and approved by Verve’s board of directors and owners,” according to the email announcing the dismissal. Some sources have said the move could be financial; The agency, with a strong focus on the literary field, was hit hard during last year’s strikes. This, coupled with a contraction in television, is affecting many companies and the agency may be no exception. The company rejected Gersh’s acquisition proposals last summer.
Verve will not appoint a new CEO. The responsibilities of that role will be shared by the founders and managing partner, Liz Parker.
Weinstein was named CEO in January 2023. He was a founding partner of Bryan Besser and Adam Levine. The trio left WME after Endeavor acquired it and launched their own store in 2010.
Weinstein took a more active role in Hollywood outside of representation when he was involved in negotiations with the Writers Guild during contentious talks over packaging fees and affiliated production in 2019. He led Verve in breaking ranks to sign the writers’ code of conduct. writers before the Major agencies made their own deals.
Weinstein’s client list included Sara Hess, Michael Arndt, Mike Jones and James Schamus, among others.