Deadline: Universal Pictures Promotes Niels Swinkels To Focus Features International Distribution President

Story from Deadline:

Universal Pictures International’s EVP and Manager Director Niels Swinkels will now add President, International Distribution, Focus Features, to his current role as EVP & MD, Universal Pictures International.

Swinkels began as a Marketing Director at Universal in 2004. He was then appointed VP of Sales & Distribution for the EMEA region in 2006 before being promoted to SVP of the same region in 2009. He then spent four years as Managing Director of the UK and Ireland before being named EVP International Distribution in 2014. He was promoted into his current role in January 2021.

Swinkels started his film industry career at PolyGram Filmed Entertainment in The Netherlands, where he served in various roles before serving as the marketing manager at Universal Pictures Benelux. From 2000 -2004, he was managing director of Independent Films Netherlands. The exec is a native of The Netherlands.