Kristen Zolner has parted ways with Imagine Entertainment, where she has served as head of television since 2022.
According to an individual with knowledge of the situation, Zolner’s exit came amid broader streamlining measures at Imagine. The parting is said to be amicable, and Zolner’s role will not be filled.
Zolner succeeded Samie Kim Falvey at the helm of Imagine’s television unit, with Falvey having exited the company in late 2021. In her time with Imagine, Zolner oversaw projects including the Peacock series reboots of “The ‘Burbs” starring Keke Palmer and “Friday Night Lights,” a scripted series about magicians Siegfried & Roy at Apple TV+, and the Netflix Mexico series “The Gringo Hunters.”
Zolner joined Imagine after nearly a decade at Netflix, where she was director of original series. During her Netflix days, she worked on shows like “Emily in Paris,” “Dead to Me,” “Big Mouth,” “Master of None,” and “Survival of the Thickest.” Zolner also helped program Netflix’s first 25 original standup specials.
Zolner also worked as a development executive at Amazon and held positions at Scot Armstrong’s American Work and at HBO.
At Imagine Television, Natalie Berkus and Max Greenspan remain in their roles as senior vice presidents, with Berkus having been promoted to that role in 2023 and Greenspan joining the company earlier this year. They will divide up Zolner’s responsibilities atop the TV division.
Variety reported in October 2024 that Yolanda Cochran had been hired by Jax Media, an Imagine Entertainment company, to serve as head of production. In that role, she oversees sales, strategy, and execution of Jax Media’s production services and also offer production support and consultation to Imagine Entertainment’s scripted divisions.
