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Jeff Small

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Jeff Small
Born
Marietta, Georgia, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
EducationStanford University (1995, public policy)
OccupationFilm studio executive
CompanyAmblin Partners
TitleChief executive officer
SpouseSara Small
Children2

Jeff Small is an American film studio executive who is the chief executive officer of Amblin Partners, the film and television company chaired by Steven Spielberg that develops and produces work under the Amblin Entertainment, DreamWorks Pictures and Amblin Television names.[1] He joined the company's predecessor, DreamWorks Studios, as chief operating officer in November 2006, was promoted to president and co-chief executive officer of Amblin Partners in February 2016, and became sole chief executive in 2019.[2][3][4]

Small's career has been on the financial and operational side of the film business rather than the creative side. After graduating from Stanford University in 1995 he worked in finance at the Walt Disney Company's motion picture group, in corporate development and mergers and acquisitions at Universal Studios, and then for about six years at Joe Roth's Revolution Studios, where he rose to chief financial officer and then chief operating officer.[5][6]

At DreamWorks and its successor, Small has been credited by his employers and the trade press with arranging the financing and distribution structures on which Spielberg's studio has operated since it left Paramount Pictures: the $825 million in equity and debt raised with India's Reliance BIG Entertainment for the independent DreamWorks relaunch of 2009, the worldwide distribution agreement with The Walt Disney Studios, the 2015 formation of Amblin Partners with Participant Media, Reliance Entertainment and Entertainment One, and the company's distribution agreements with Universal Pictures.[6][4] As chief executive he led a recapitalization of the company in December 2020 and negotiated a multi-year film partnership with Netflix in 2021.[7]

In July 2022 Small signed a new multi-year contract to remain chief executive.[4] In July 2023, under Small, the company moved from financing its own films to a traditional producing arrangement with Universal, a change accompanied by the reported loss of about 20 percent of its staff.[8] As of October 2026, the company's website lists Small as chief executive, responsible for all operations of the company while working with Spielberg on its creative slate and corporate strategy.[1]

Early life and education

Small is a native of Marietta, Georgia.[1][2] His exact date of birth has not been published by the company; in November 2006 Joe Roth, chairman of Revolution Studios, described him as "only 32 years old".[2]

He attended Stanford University and graduated in 1995 with a degree in public policy.[5][1] In a 2024 interview with The Stanford Daily, Small said that he had arrived at Stanford academically underprepared: his high school offered three Advanced Placement classes, all of which he took, and he said his first one or two years were "pretty rough academically" while his overall experience at the university "absolutely changed my life".[5]

Small said he grew up loving "movies and TV, sports and pop culture" and hoped to work in a related field, but that Stanford had no obvious route into the film industry. He sent letters to studios asking for work. One of them was Amblin Entertainment, and Small said he later framed the company's 1995 rejection letter and hung it in his office.[5] While most of his classmates were interviewing for banking and consulting jobs, he took a finance job with Disney, which then recruited on the Stanford campus, and moved to Los Angeles.[5]

He has remained involved with Stanford through several advisory and leadership committees.[1]

Career

Walt Disney Company and Universal Studios

Small began his career in the Walt Disney Company's Motion Picture Group, specializing in studio planning and financial analysis.[2] He later described the work as "very micro", focused on the financials of a single studio.[5]

After a couple of years at Disney, a friend who was hiring for mergers and acquisitions at Universal Studios brought him into the corporate development group there.[5] Small said he "really loved" the job because, in contrast to studio finance, it involved looking "at the entirety of the corporation from the top".[5] According to his later employers, Small played key roles in mergers and acquisitions across Universal's film, television and music businesses, including the acquisitions of PolyGram and the USA Network.[2][6] He then moved to Universal Pictures as director of business development, responsible for sourcing and analysing new business opportunities and financing packages.[2] He remained at Universal until 2000.[5] It was at Universal that he first worked alongside Stacey Snider, who later hired him at DreamWorks.[2]

Revolution Studios (2000 to 2006)

In 2000 several executives Small had worked for at Disney started their own production company, Revolution Studios, and asked him to join.[5] He was with the company from its beginning.[2] Small first served as Revolution's head of strategic planning and business development, then as chief financial officer and finally as chief operating officer.[6] As COO he oversaw business and legal affairs, finance, physical production and administration.[2] Among his projects there, according to his later employer, Small led a $750 million leveraged recapitalization of Revolution Studios and its 47-picture film library.[6]

When Small left in 2006, Revolution chairman Joe Roth said that Small had "excelled at every challenge from banking to administration to chief financial officer" and that "he really blossomed over the past year when he became our COO".[2] Small later said that Revolution "was starting to wind down" in 2006 when he received a call saying DreamWorks needed a chief operating officer.[5]

DreamWorks Studios (2006 to 2015)

On November 6, 2006, DreamWorks Studios announced that it had named Small chief operating officer. The announcement was made by Stacey Snider, then co-chairman and chief executive officer of DreamWorks, who said she had recognized "his range of experience at all levels of a studio" first hand when they were both at Universal.[2] DreamWorks was at that time owned by Paramount Pictures. Snider thanked Roth for releasing Small early enough to start that week.[2] Later company biographies give his title from 2006 as president and chief operating officer.[6][1]

According to a 2016 biography, Small helped guide the company through its time under Paramount and its subsequent independence.[9] In 2009, after DreamWorks separated from Paramount, Small led the relaunch of the newly independent studio alongside Reliance BIG Entertainment, securing $825 million in equity and debt capital from Reliance and a consortium of banks led by JPMorgan Securities.[6][4] He also oversaw the negotiations that produced DreamWorks' worldwide distribution agreement with the Walt Disney Studios, under which the studio's films were released during the following years.[4][10]

Formation of Amblin Partners

In December 2015 Small led the effort to restructure DreamWorks Studios as a new company, Amblin Partners.[6] The company was announced on December 16, 2015, with Participant Media, the Reliance Group and Entertainment One as partners. Deadline Hollywood reported that the partners had put together more than $300 million, the largest share from Participant, and that JPMorgan Chase and Comerica Bank had arranged a $500 million debt syndication; Spielberg was also personally invested.[11][12]

At the same time the company signed a distribution agreement with Universal Pictures, under which Universal and its Focus Features label would market and distribute about four to seven Amblin Partners films a year in the United States and certain international markets, replacing Disney as the studio's main distributor.[12] The company credited Small with overseeing the negotiation of that agreement.[6] At launch, The Hollywood Reporter reported that Michael Wright would serve as chief executive and Small as chief operating officer, and Deadline described the two as responsible for the company's day-to-day operations.[12][11] Business decisions at Amblin Television, including the financing of shows, were to be deferred to Wright and Small, while the television division's co-presidents continued to report to Spielberg on creative matters.[11]

Amblin Partners co-CEO (2016 to 2019)

On February 3, 2016, one day after Wright extended his own contract as chief executive for four years, the company promoted Small to president and co-chief executive officer.[3][13] Some later company biographies and trade reports date his co-chief executive role to 2015.[4][1] In the new role Small continued to oversee finance, business and legal affairs, physical production, human resources, communications and administration, and managed the company's relationships with its financial and distribution partners, while working with Wright on business strategy.[6] Spielberg said the promotion reflected "what he has done for us in both challenging and gratifying times over the last 10 years".[6] Small said: "I've been incredibly lucky to work for Steven for almost a decade."[6]

In October 2016 the company signed a strategic partnership with Alibaba Pictures, the film arm of Alibaba Group, which took an undisclosed minority stake in the company and agreed to co-produce and co-finance films and to collaborate on marketing, distribution and merchandising of the company's films in China.[14] An Asia Society biography of Small stated that he and his team developed the Alibaba partnership.[9]

In February 2017 Universal acquired a minority stake in the company. In a joint statement Wright and Small called Universal "the gold standard in our industry" and said it "fits perfectly with our other esteemed partners".[15] Small was later credited with negotiating NBCUniversal's equity investment.[4]

On September 19, 2017, the company announced that Wright would step down as chief executive to become an executive producer on two of the company's films. Spielberg took on the chief executive role himself, and Small kept his title of president and co-CEO, overseeing the company's operations alongside Spielberg.[16]

Amblin Partners CEO (2019 to present)

Small became chief executive officer of Amblin Partners in 2019.[4][1][17] As CEO he is responsible for all of the company's operations and works with Spielberg, as chairman, on the company's vision, creative slate and corporate strategy.[1]

In November 2020 the company signed a new multi-year distribution partnership with Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, reported to be in the five-year range, together with agreements intended to speed its move into streaming. NBCUniversal agreed to reinvest in the company to fund new production and development.[10] Small said that "the evolution of our partnership provides flexibility for us to continue supplying the fast-growing streaming marketplace on an even greater scale, which will no doubt be a key growth driver for Amblin Partners in both film and TV in the years ahead."[10] In December 2020 Small led a recapitalization of the company through investments from its equity and banking partners.[7]

In June 2021 the company agreed a multi-year deal to produce "multiple new feature films per year" for Netflix, while continuing its partnership with Universal.[18] TechCrunch described the arrangement as "something of an about-face" given Spielberg's comments in 2019 about streaming films and Academy Award eligibility.[18] Small led the negotiations for both the expanded Universal agreement and the Netflix partnership; the first film announced under the Netflix deal was the thriller Carry-On, starring Taron Egerton.[7]

On July 28, 2022, the company announced that Small had signed a new multi-year contract to continue as chief executive. Spielberg said Small's "vast contributions to our business, and personal counsel to me, have set us on an enviable course".[7][4] Small said he was "most fortunate to be surrounded by the many amazing people who have been my Amblin family for the past 16 years".[4]

On July 11, 2023, Amblin Partners and Universal Pictures announced a new multi-year partnership giving Universal first-look status on all of the company's theatrical film projects. Deadline reported that the deal marked a change for the company from financing its own films to a traditional producing deal with the studio, that it was not an acquisition, and that about 20 percent of its staff would be cut. Its film partnership with Netflix and its television production business were to continue.[8] Small gave his 2024 interview with The Stanford Daily in November 2023, during the SAG-AFTRA strike, and said that while the company could not announce films during the strike, it was preparing "for the next round of movies that we want to make when the strike ends".[5]

As of October 2026 Small remains chief executive, according to the company's website.[1]

Leadership and management style

Small has described his job in operational terms. "In the simplest form, I run the company for Steven Spielberg," he told The Stanford Daily in 2024. "He relies on me to make sure that the studio is getting the most out of all of the creative ideas that we have. I set the strategy for the company."[5] Small described the company as "both a business and a creative studio" and said one of his main tasks was to keep "the right balance between those two things".[5]

He described a division of labour with Spielberg in which Spielberg is "very involved in the business" and has "touched creatively" everything the company makes, while Small's role in day-to-day business is to "make sure that the trains run smoothly and on time". He said the two had developed "a pretty good shorthand" over almost 17 years.[5] He said his days typically mixed corporate, financial and human resources issues with discussions of new projects, and that "part of what I really like about the job is I get to touch all of these very different parts of the business".[5]

The Hollywood Reporter described Small in 2016 as "known as a money whiz", noting his part in arranging the company's financial deals with Participant Media, Reliance and Entertainment One.[3] His portfolio as president and co-CEO was defined by the company as finance, business and legal affairs, physical production, human resources, communications and administration, together with the company's relationships with its financial and distribution partners.[6] When Small was promoted, Wright said he had seen "Jeff's innovative spirit and problem-solving acumen" at first hand over the previous year.[6]

Asked for advice for people starting in the industry, Small said: "Meet as many people as you can. Make as many connections as you can." He said that although all of his jobs had been very different, they had all been in the entertainment business, which "grew my knowledge base and made me ready for certain opportunities".[5] He has attributed part of his career to "a lot of luck".[5]

Major deals and strategic decisions

The following transactions were led or overseen by Small, according to his employers and the trade press:

  • Revolution Studios recapitalization (before 2006): a $750 million leveraged recapitalization of Revolution Studios and its 47-picture library.[6]
  • DreamWorks relaunch (2009): $825 million in equity and debt capital for the independent DreamWorks Studios, from Reliance BIG Entertainment and a bank consortium led by JPMorgan Securities, following the separation from Paramount.[6][4]
  • Disney distribution: a worldwide distribution agreement between DreamWorks and the Walt Disney Studios.[4]
  • Formation of Amblin Partners (December 2015): the restructuring of DreamWorks Studios into Amblin Partners with Participant Media, Reliance and Entertainment One, backed by a $500 million debt syndication arranged by JPMorgan Chase and Comerica Bank.[6][11][12]
  • Universal distribution (December 2015): the first distribution agreement with Universal Pictures and Focus Features.[6][12]
  • Alibaba Pictures partnership (October 2016): a minority equity investment and Chinese co-production, distribution and merchandising partnership.[14][9]
  • NBCUniversal equity investment (February 2017): Universal's purchase of a minority stake in the company.[15][4]
  • Universal renewal and recapitalization (November and December 2020): a renewed multi-year distribution agreement, new capital from NBCUniversal, and a recapitalization of the company by its equity and banking partners.[10][7]
  • Netflix film partnership (June 2021): a multi-year agreement to produce several feature films a year for Netflix.[18][7]

In July 2023, during Small's tenure as chief executive, the company moved away from financing its own films and entered a first-look producing arrangement with Universal, accompanied by reported cuts of about 20 percent of staff.[8] Published reports did not attribute the negotiation of that deal to Small by name.

Financial and market performance

Amblin Partners is privately held and does not publish revenue, profit or headcount figures. When Small's contract was extended in July 2022, the company stated that under Small's leadership its films had earned more than $3 billion at the global box office, and that it had 15 television projects in production and release across 11 broadcast and streaming platforms.[7][17] The company cited Green Book, produced with Participant, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture and grossed more than $320 million worldwide, and 1917, which won three Academy Awards and grossed more than $380 million worldwide.[7] It also stated that Finch (2021) was the most-viewed film in the history of Apple TV+ and that the first episode of the Halo series was the most-viewed series premiere on Paramount+.[7]

The 2023 move to a producing deal with Universal was accompanied by reported cuts of about 20 percent of the company's staff.[8]

Board memberships and outside roles

Small sits on the board of directors of the Weingart Center, a human services center for homeless men and women in Los Angeles, and of the Starlight Foundation, a nonprofit organization that works to support the emotional and social well-being of hospitalized children.[1] He has served on several committees benefiting the USC Shoah Foundation and the Keck School of Medicine of USC, and he takes part in advisory and leadership committees at Stanford University.[1]

Personal life

Small lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Sara, and their two daughters.[1] In 2023 he mentioned driving his daughters to school as part of his daily routine.[5] He has said he grew up loving movies, television, sports and pop culture.[5] Reflecting on his work, he said in 2024 that film studios "tell stories" and "make people aware of other people's stories", which he said "does have a really important role in society", while expressing "incredible respect and awe" for people in other careers "who do so much good in the world".[5]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 <ref>"Meet the Team".Amblin Entertainment.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  2. ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 <ref>"DreamWorks Studios Names Jeff Small as Chief Operating Officer".PR Newswire.November 6, 2006.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 <ref>Siegel, Tatiana."Amblin Partners Promotes Jeff Small to President and Co-CEO (Exclusive)".February 3, 2016.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  4. ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 <ref>Welk, Brian."Amblin Partners CEO Jeff Small Signs Multi-Year Extension".July 28, 2022.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  5. ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 5.14 5.15 5.16 5.17 5.18 5.19 5.20 <ref>Zhou, Grace."Lights, Cardinals, Action: How Jeff Small '95 climbed to the top of Steven Spielberg's Amblin Partners".January 9, 2024.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  6. ↑ 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 6.11 6.12 6.13 6.14 6.15 6.16 6.17 <ref>"Amblin Partners Promotes Jeff Small to President and Co-CEO".Amblin Partners (via Reliance Entertainment).Amblin Partners (via Reliance Entertainment).February 3, 2016.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 7.8 <ref>Kroll, Justin."Amblin CEO Jeff Small Re-Ups With Company".July 28, 2022.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 <ref>Kroll, Justin."Amblin Partners And Universal Pictures Set New Multi-Year Partnership As Amblin Expects Future Job Cuts".July 11, 2023.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 <ref>"Jeff Small: President and Co-Chief Executive Officer, Amblin Partners".Asia Society.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 <ref>Lang, Brent."Steven Spielberg's Amblin Partners Extends Deal With Universal".November 30, 2020.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 <ref>Busch, Anita."It's Official: Spielberg, DreamWorks, Participant, eOne, Others Pact For Amblin Partners".December 16, 2015.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 <ref>"Steven Spielberg, Jeff Skoll Team to Form Amblin Partners, Strike Distribution Deal With Universal".December 16, 2015.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  13. ↑ <ref>Verhoeven, Beatrice."Steven Spielberg's Amblin Partners Elevates Jeff Small to President, Co-CEO".February 3, 2016.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 <ref>Frater, Patrick."Steven Spielberg's Amblin Partners Inks Strategic Pact With Alibaba Pictures".October 9, 2016.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 <ref>Lieberman, David."Universal Buys Minority Stake In Amblin Partners".February 15, 2017.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  16. ↑ <ref>Pressberg, Matt."Michael Wright to Step Down as Amblin Partners CEO".September 19, 2017.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 <ref>Rubin, Rebecca."Steven Spielberg's Amblin Partners Re-Ups CEO Jeff Small".July 28, 2022.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 <ref>Coldewey, Devin."Spielberg's Amblin inks multiyear feature film deal with Netflix".June 21, 2021.Retrieved October 29, 2026.</ref>
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