CJ 4DPlex today named Don Savant CEO of CJ 4DPlex Americas, the U.S. branch of the groundbreaking next-generation motion picture technology company. Savant will be responsible for growing both premium formats, 4DX and ScreenX, in the Americas, while continuing to collaborate with movie studios to deliver the best films in both formats for consumers.
Savant served 19 years at IMAX Corporation where he most recently led as president of global sales from 2016 to 2018. During that time Savant led IMAX to unprecedented network growth with the development of 730 theatres while expanding IMAX’s presence in North America, Europe, India, and continuing growth in China and Asia. From 2000 to 2015 Savant oversaw IMAX’s rapid growth in China and Asia Pacific and established China as IMAX’s largest market in the world, which led to its successful IPO of IMAX China, a subsidiary of IMAX Corp., on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange with a valuation of over US$1.45 billion.
JongRyul Kim, CEO of CJ 4DPlex said, “Don has a proven track record of growing premium theatre concepts globally and will help continue our record-breaking growth for both 4DX and ScreenX. His has an excellent reputation among exhibitors and the overall entertainment industry and we are excited to have him oversee our presence in the Americas and take it to the next level.”
“I am incredibly excited to join CJ 4DPlex, and the CJ Group,” said Savant. “I had worked with CJ CGV Cinemas for 18 years at IMAX. Their commitment to the development of the overall cinema experience and the film business worldwide created a deep and lasting impression with me and I am thrilled to be part of an organization committed to innovation and excellence.”
Prior to IMAX, Savant was the senior vice president, sales & marketing at Iwerks Entertainment in Burbank, California, where he launched the company’s first 4D theatres.
Savant is a board member of APPlife Digital Solutions, a business incubator and portfolio manager that invests in and creates e-commerce and cloud-based solutions. Savant is also an active member of his community, setting up the Savant Fellowship with his wife Elizabeth at the UCLA Center for Autism Research & Treatment.