Harvard Club of Cincinnati

Join the HBS Club of Toronto (HBSCT) and fellow HBS/Harvard Clubs for a conversation with Strauss Zelnick, founder and managing director of ZMC (ZelnickMedia Corporation), Chairman & CEO of Take-Two Interactive and author of “Becoming Ageless” on the topics ranging from the future direction of the entertainment and video game industries to Zelnick’s leadership principles and his thoughts on the best practices for health and wellness. Boris Tsimerinov, Board Member of the HBSCT will speak with Mr. Zelnick.

There is only one constant when it comes to the media and entertainment industry: it is constantly changing. Over the past few decades, there has been significant changes in the media and entertainment industry and a tremendous amount of value has been created, and destroyed, along the way. The impact of technology on everything, including content creation, distribution and consumption, has made it tougher to grab consumers’ attention and create viable business models.

Strauss Zelnick has had a front seat to these changes throughout his career as founder of media and communications private equity fund ZMC (Zelnick Media Capital); current CEO and Chairman of the Board of Take-Two Interactive Software which gave the world blockbuster video game franchises like Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead Redemption, and NBA 2K. As an icon in the media and entertainment industry, he has been pioneer, leader and innovator in almost every segment of media and entertainment.

Zelnick, now 65, maintains a two-a-day workout schedule and authored “Becoming Ageless: The Four Secrets to Looking and Feeling Younger Than Ever”, which includes tactics that allowed Zelnick to evolve from “a skinny, out-of-shape business executive (a workaholic wunderkind who headed the film studio 20th Century Fox in his early 30s) to one of the world's fittest and most physically active executives who reached his best-ever shape in his late 50s! "If you believe my fitness buddies," Zelnick writes, "I have a body that's aging in reverse...And Becoming Ageless is filled with the amazing tips and unique principles you'd find if you trained with me."

ABOUT:

Strauss Zelnick, a partner in ZelnickMedia since 2001, became Chairman of Take-Two in March 2007 and Chief Executive Officer in January 2011. Throughout his tenure at Take-Two, Strauss has been an inspiring, visionary leader, applying sound financial infrastructure and rigor to enable the industry’s top creative talent to pursue their passions and deliver incredible entertainment experiences for consumers across the world. Strauss has been instrumental in establishing a strong corporate culture that is diverse, inclusive, and respectful, and is driven by the Take-Two mission to be the most innovative, creative, and efficient entertainment company in the world. By leveraging his vast media expertise, Strauss continues to position Take-Two to be on the forefront of our evolving industry and to chart our pathway for long-term success.

Prior to forming ZelnickMedia, Strauss was President and Chief Executive Officer of BMG Entertainment, a $4.7 billion music and entertainment company. His appointment as President and Chief Executive Officer of BMG Entertainment followed his tenure as President and Chief Executive Officer of the company's North American business unit from 1994 through 1998. Before joining BMG Entertainment, Strauss was President and Chief Executive Officer of Crystal Dynamics, a leading producer and distributor of interactive game software. Prior to that, he spent four years as President and Chief Operating Officer of 20th Century Fox, where he managed all aspects of the worldwide motion picture and distribution business.

Previously, Strauss spent three years at Vestron Inc. as a senior executive and rose to become President and Chief Operating Officer. He also served as Vice President, International Television for Columbia Pictures.

Strauss holds an MBA and a JD from Harvard University and a BA from Wesleyan University. He currently serves on the boards of directors of Starwood Property Trust, Inc (for which he currently serves as the Chairman of its Audit Committee); Education Networks of America, a privately-held company; and the Entertainment Software Association, for which he served as Chairman from July 2014 to July 2017. Additionally, Strauss served as Chairman of the Board for CBS Corp. from 2018-2019. Strauss is an associate member of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, and is a Trustee Emeritus of Wesleyan University.

Boris Tsimerinov leads Semper8 Capital, an investment and consulting group conducting family office private equity & VC investments, private asset portfolio oversight, mergers & acquisitions, and restructurings; works on building healthcare and biotech start-ups at Semper8 Health; and, is launching Semper8 Media, with a proprietary library of 80+ film/TV concepts, partnered projects and a digital platform.

Tsimerinov is a graduate of Rotman Commerce; a CFA Charterholder; an alumnus of Harvard Business School; and, attained a master of laws from the University of Toronto Faculty of Law. He is a Board Member of the HBSCT and the global Harvard Alumni in Healthcare; was recognized by the University of Toronto Arbor Award; and, in late 2021, received the Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Award.