Jeremy Zimmer is passing the leadership torch to United Talent Agency President David Kramer. Kramer, who began his career in the UTA mailroom, will succeed Zimmer as CEO on June 1.
Zimmer had been CEO since 2012, and a stalwart agent for a lot longer. He has been grooming the well-respected Kramer for this ascension for some time. As CEO, Kramer will oversee all strategic planning and operations of the Company’s global business. Zimmer will partner with Kramer to support UTA’s long-standing planned succession process in the role of Executive Chairman through year’s end. He will continue to serve on the Company’s Board of Directors, which is headed by Paul Wachter.
Said Wachter: “We are thrilled to announce David as UTA’s next CEO. He is stepping into this role at an exciting time of growth, with UTA at the center of some of the most pivotal cultural moments across media, sports, and entertainment. We are confident that his leadership and client-centric approach will position the Company for continued success. I’ve known Jeremy and UTA for almost 30 years and have been impressed with Jeremy’s entrepreneurial nature and vision. It’s been remarkable how much the Company has grown and succeeded over that period. Jeremy’s years of dedicated service have left a strong and dynamic foundation for the Company’s future.”
Zimmer has led the agency’s evolution from boutique literary agency into a much broader global enterprise with expansion into music, sports, publishing, fashion and beauty, creators, and brand advisory. While CAA and WME have long been regarded as the biggest agencies, UTA has positioned itself as a solid number three, and has kept pace with the expansion of those others through a combination of organic growth and 19 strategic acquisitions. That includes two major music agencies, publishing firm Fletcher & Company, U.K. talent and literary agency Curtis Brown Group and global football agency ROOF. UTA’s partnership with KLUTCH Sports has grown to represent professional athletes across the NBA, WNBA, MLB, and NFL. In addition, UTA was the first agency to launch a creator group, dedicated to digital talent and podcasting. To power that growth, UTA has gone through three rounds of outside institutional investment.
“These 35 years at UTA have been so incredibly rewarding,” said Zimmer. “While transition is never easy, this particular moment feels very right. David has been my chosen successor for many years and I’m certain that he will continue to uphold our great culture, support our amazing colleagues, and honor the privilege of serving our clients.”
Zimmer outlined his own plans in an email to staff that Deadline obtained, and it is evident that retirement isn’t in his immediate plans:
“I’m proud to announce that David Kramer will be the CEO of UTA beginning in June,” Zimmer wrote. “After helping to ensure a smooth transition, I will be moving on professionally. It has always been my hope and plan for David to succeed me and seeing that vision come to life is incredibly gratifying.
The fact that I am ready for my next challenge doesn’t obviate how hard it will be to not walk in every morning to a place I love. I will miss the deep sense of pride and belonging I have felt as part of the UTA family for the last 35 years.
I know that the time is right, the company is well positioned for its next phase of growth. We have successfully navigated both transformative and tumultuous times, and much of that is with David’s steady influence. I have been an agent for 45 years, and it’s now or never to see what else I will do. I’ve always been a builder, and I want to take the time to create something meaningful in this next chapter of my career.
For the next several months I will be completely available to help transition divisions and relationships to the colleagues who will assume new responsibilities. I will also be available for lunches, laughs, and any sort of questions or concerns that I can be of help with.
Let’s be honest, the chances that I’m going to start an aluminum company in Alaska or a cement company in Cleveland are pretty slim. So this is not goodbye. I will remain on the board, and I will always be a friend, a supporter, and a fiercely loyal champion of this great company we’ve built together and that I love.
Special thanks to my fellow board members for all the good times and support. My fellow founders- Jim Berkus and Peter Benedek, who have been great friends and wonderful mentors, even when I was a terrible mentee. I love you guys.
And most of all, my deepest love and gratitude to UTA—to our extraordinary clients, our incredible colleagues, and the unwavering culture of believing in and fighting for artists’ dreams. UTA will always be part of me.”
In the agency’s announcement, Kramer said he was “honored to serve as the next CEO of this incredible Company and work with our talented team of agents and executives who, unlike any other, prioritize clients above all else, and share a commitment to delivering tailored, impactful opportunities. Thanks to Jeremy’s vision and leadership, UTA has not only grown, but evolved into a more diversified, dynamic company, expanding into new areas, while strengthening our core business. Our complementary businesses are positioned to take advantage of an everchanging environment and I look forward to building on our momentum to advance the UTA platform.”
Kramer has been the agency’s president since 2022. He worked his way up from the bottom, ending his mailroom stint with a promotion to agent in the motion picture department. In addition to representing a strong list of writer/director/producer clients, he distinguished himself as a strong strategic thinker who has guided the agency’s day-to-day business and helped shape its strategic growth in the filmed entertainment group, which includes motion picture literary, television literary, talent, production arts, and independent film, as well as the comedy touring and publishing divisions. Along the way, he has been a driver in the agency’s strategic growth, including helping to bring strategic investor EQT to UTA and leading UTA’s acquisition of top UK literary and talent agency Curtis Brown Group.
Kramer just delivered an agency-wide email to staff on the seismic change.
Team,
I’d like to start by saying that I am honored to be named UTA’s next CEO. We are all deeply grateful to Jeremy for his passion and dedication to this team and for helping to make UTA into one of the premier global talent agencies in the world. His vision and guidance were key to building our foundation and broadening our business to offer clients world-class capabilities across filmed entertainment, music, sports, the creator economy, and advisory services.
UTA has consistently taken chances, entered into new spaces, and defined categories with our work. Our focus will continue to be on nurturing and empowering that entrepreneurialism, and the unique strengths and capabilities that have allowed us to win in each category. Together, we will make sure that we foster real collaboration across our platform so that we can leverage our ability to see what’s next in culture to unlock greater opportunity for both our clients and the company as a whole.
UTA’s greatness isn’t just defined by the strength of our individual contributions or our ever-expanding scale; it’s our shared commitment to putting clients first and our relentless pursuit of discovering, creating and sustaining opportunity for great talent and brands. This will always be the foundation of our success and what differentiates us.
I’m excited to collaborate with each of you as we leverage the strength of the businesses we’ve built and guide this company into a new era of growth and innovation.
I look forward to spending time over the following weeks meeting with all of you and talking further about priorities ahead.
Please join me once again in thanking Jeremy for his incredible vision and leadership. And thank you for all you do to make UTA the company it is today.
Regards,
DK