Daniel Manwaring
Imax Names Daniel Manwaring CEO of China Operations
December 12, 2022
Imax Corporation Dec. 12 named Daniel Manwaring as CEO of Imax China, effective Jan. 9, 2023. He succeeds interim CEO Jiande Chen, who will return to his full-time role as vice chairman of Imax China.
Manwaring joins Imax from Creative Artists Agency (CAA), where he most recently led CAA China’s Motion Picture Group — a role in which he helped serve as a bridge to and within the local market to build out opportunities for clients across the globe, forging relationships throughout the Chinese film community.
“Across his successful, decade-long tenure at CAA, Daniel has proved very adept at fostering blockbuster Chinese filmmaking that connects with audiences — a talent that will serve Imax well as we strengthen our unique position at the center of the entertainment ecosystem in China,” Rich Gelfond, CEO of Imax, said in a statement.
Manwaring has been with CAA in China since 2012 and assumed his most recent role as head of CAA China’s Motion Picture Group in 2018, representing China filmmakers and leading CAA’s Media Finance in the region. Over the past four years, he’s put together more than a dozen local and Hollywood films for release in Chinese theaters. He also played a key role in architecting financing and distribution entities in the region.
Manwaring has been based in China since 2006 and is fluent in Mandarin. He received a dual degree in finance and Chinese from the University of Florida, he also has a degree in Chinese from Tsinghua University.
“Daniel’s expertise, creativity, and years of working with Chinese filmmakers, the China Film Bureau, and top film finance and distribution companies will be deeply valuable to Imax China as we look to grow our industry leadership in this powerful cinema market,” Gelfond said.
Imax reported a net loss of $9 million on revenue of $68.8 million in its most-recent fiscal period.