Paul Bronfman is set to step down as senior advisor and co-chairman of Canadian movie rental giant William F. White International after selling the company to the UK’s Ashtead Group in 2019, which includes Sunbelt Rentals.

“After 34 years of vision, leadership, and engagement with so many of us at William F. White, and indeed in the broader industry, Paul has decided his time has come to fully pass on the torch to the existing leadership team, effective August 31, 2023,” Sunbelt Rentals CEO Brendan Horgen said in an internal memo to employees that was obtained by The Hollywood Reporter.

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“Paul’s leadership has been an invaluable asset to many of us. Through his wealth of experience and insights, he has played a pivotal role in shaping not only the collective success of WFW, but the industry at large,” Garin Josey, executive vp and COO of William F. White, added in a second internal memo obtained by THR.

Whites’ customers include major Hollywood studios Warner Bros., Walt Disney, Universal Studios, MGM and Lionsgate and Silicon Valley players like Amazon Prime and Apple as they pivot to the TV streaming space and require original content of their own.

Bronfman, who led WFW for 34 years, will become chairman emeritus of the company from the end of August. He also remains chairman and CEO of Comweb Corporation. In a related move, Bronfman is set to join former Bell Media CEO Randy Lennox as senior advisors to Pinewood Toronto Studios.

That follows Pinewood Group, which runs Pinewood Studios in the U.K., recently acquiring full ownership of Pinewood Toronto Studios. Bronfman was a founding shareholder and chairman of Pinewood Toronto Studios since 2009, and sold his minority stake to the Pinewood Group, led by Paul Golding, CEO of Pinewood and Shepperton Studios in the U.K.

And Lennox is a former CEO of Bell Media, the media player that also sold its controlling stake in Pinewood Toronto Studios to the Pinewood Group as part of an overarching acquisition that handed the UK parent 100 percent ownership.

Both Bronfman and Lennox will advise Golding as the the British studio group is looking beyond the current Hollywood actors and writers strike to the major studio and streamers returning to Ontario for currency savings and generous tax incentives and filming on newly-added stages.

The full letter from Sunbelt Rentals CEO Brendan Horgan follows:

Dear all,

It is my great honor to wish our dear friend and colleague, Paul Bronfman, all the best in his future endeavors. After 34 years of vision, leadership, and engagement with so many of us at William F. White, and indeed in the broader industry, Paul has decided his time has come to fully pass on the torch to the existing leadership team, effective August 31, 2023. Although this was a hard decision for Paul to come to, he shared with me that at some point everyone must step aside to give the next generation their turn.

This communication is coming from me as I know Paul would not fully put on paper the recognition and appreciation he so richly deserves. So, please join me in wishing Paul well as he moves on to his next chapter. Paul will always be a friend to William F. White and Sunbelt Rentals as we will proudly refer to him as Chairman Emeritus.

Warm Regards,

Brendan Horgan

Chief Executive Officer

Sunbelt Rentals

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