Sandy Climan Joins Lazard as Senior Advisor

Lazard Ltd has named longtime Hollywood player Sanford R. (Sandy) Climan as a senior financial advisor, Variety has learned exclusively.

Based in Los Angeles, he will serve as an advisor to Lazard’s Global Telecommunications, Media and Technology Group. Climan has more than 35 years of experience in senior management in the media and entertainment industry, holding key roles in both creative and business management.

He is president of Entertainment Media Ventures, which he founded in 1999 to help bridge the worlds of media and entertainment with technology. Climan was a top agent at CAA before launching investment vehicle Entertainment Media Ventures. He was a producer on Martin Scorsese’s “The Aviator” and an executive producer on “Robbery Homicide Division.”

Climan also served as corporate executive vice president and president of worldwide business development for Universal Studios, where he oversaw corporate international strategy, strategic marketing and five studio operating divisions. He started his entertainment career at MGM, holding executive positions in motion picture, and television production and distribution.

Climan has had a long history with Lazard and worked with Ken Jacobs, now CEO of Lazard, when CAA represented the acquisition of MCA Universal. He founded CAA Corporate Advisory Group in 1987, which was the first time a talent agency entered into the world of corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, branding and marketing. As an agent, he represented Robert Redford, Robert DeNiro, Kevin Costner, and Danny De Vito.

Climan works behind the scenes with companies and individual creators. He serves on the board of the American Cinematheque, and has been the advisor on media and entertainment to the World Economic Forum for more than 20 years. He also serves on the board of Penske Business Media.

Lazard is a financial advisory and asset management firm, operating in 43 cities across 27 countries.