Medient Studios, Inc. today announced that current board member, Charles Koppelman, has been appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors of Medient Studios, Inc. Manu Kumaran has been terminated as the Company’s CEO, effective immediately, and has been replaced by Jake Shapiro.

Charles Koppelman is a leading brand building figure in the entertainment industry. Koppelman served as CEO and Chairman of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Chairman of Steve Madden and Chairman and CEO of EMI Records. Currently he is a member of the Board of Directors of Six Flags Entertainment Corp., a director of the Las Vegas Sands Corp., as well as the Chairman and CEO of CAK Entertainment Inc., a brand development firm that provides advisory work for artists including, but not limited to, Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, Nicki Minaj and Adam Levine.

Mr. Shapiro helped found several technology and commercial product companies and has helped structure and/or finance companies in Asia, South America, Australia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and North America. Mr. Shapiro is also a former Principal and Vice President at M.H. Meyerson & Company, where he served as a Senior Equities Trader, specializing in domestic arbitrage, and servicing clients such as Goldman Sachs, Lehman Brothers, and Deutsche Bank. Mr. Shapiro graduated with Honors from Rutgers University, where he received his Bachelor and Master of Business Administration.

“Medient has redefined long-standing paradigms with its unique and cost effective approach to media production,” said Koppelman. "It is the beginning of a new era for Medient and we are focused on execution, corporate governance, and above all driving shareholder value. I look forward to working closely with Jake Shapiro and supporting Savannah’s growing status as a center of influence within the media industry.