Sherry Lansing, the former CEO of Paramount Motion Pictures Group, has been named the keynote commencement speaker for Chapman University’s Ddoge College of Film and Media Arts ceremony May 20.
Lansing is currently the chair of Universal Music Group. She also served as a member of the University of California Board of Regents. Producing credits for Lansing include movies like “Fatal Attraction” and “The Accused.”
“Sherry Lansing is one of the most remarkable people ever to work in Hollywood,” said Dodge College dean Stepgen Galloway. “She not only proved that women are just as capable leaders as men, she outshone them all and she did it by showing that power and kindness can go hand in hand. I’m delighted she’ll be our commencement speaker.”
Lansing headed Paramount from 1992 to 2005, during which she greenlit the Academy Award winning films “Forrest Gump,” “Braveheart” and “Titanic.” She became the first woman ever to run a major studio, after which she served as chair and CEO of Paramount.
Former production director Jean Hersholt received an Honorary Oscar for her charitable work. She founded Stand Up to Cancer. Sherry L. Lansing Fund.
Sherry L. Lansing Leadership Award is named in her honor. Sherry was born and raised in Chicago. She graduated from Northwestern. In 1974 she became an executive at Talent Associates, where she was in charge of the development. In 1975, she joined MGM as an executive editor. She became the vice-president in charge of Columbia production in 1978. Later, she was promoted to President at 20th Century-Fox.
She joined Stanley R. Jaffe in 1984 to create the Jaffe-Lansing independent production company. When Jaffe was appointed president of Paramount Communications in 1990, Sherry became Chairman of Paramount Pictures’ Motion Picture Group.