Exclusive: Hollywood veteran Kevin Reilly named CEO of AI consultancy Kartel
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Kevin Reilly. Photo illustration: Axios Visuals. Photo: Kartel
Kevin Reilly, the longtime Hollywood executive who helped launch hits like "The Sopranos," "The Office" and "Glee," has joined Beverly Hills-based AI creative consultancy Kartel as CEO, he exclusively tells Axios.
Why it matters: The hiring underscores the maturing of generative AI as more companies, including the creative community, seek to reap the benefits.
Zoom in: Launched in 2025, Kartel helps brands incorporate AI into their workflows to automate some processes like creating marketing assets to improve scaling, measurability and consistency.
- "Generative AI creates this capability of service as software, where you take what was traditionally a manual type process and flip it on its head," Reilly says.
- "The most fun I'm having right now is the 'aha' moments with clients, where they realize that there's capabilities they're not even aware of that can streamline and give them so much more control," he adds.
- Kartel serves enterprise clients, including automakers, apparel companies, entertainment studios and ad agencies.
Catch up quick: Reilly served as president of TNT, TBS and TruTV since 2014 plus chief content officer of HBO Max from 2018 to 2020. He was previously president of entertainment at NBC and FX and chairman of entertainment at Fox.
- Recently, Reilly has served as an adviser to deepdub.ai, Colossal Biosciences and other emerging tech companies.
Between the lines: Reilly met Kartel's founders in August and became an investor.
- He says he was asked to be an adviser but was "drowning in advisories" and discussions evolved into becoming CEO.
The big picture: Reilly says he admired Kartel for blending human creativity with AI and its ability to help companies in the "adaptation phase" of this technology amid the "fear and confusion."
- Asked what problem he wished he could have solved with AI earlier in his career, Reilly pointed to "Glee" and difficulties he faced convincing executives to put a musical on TV.
- "To be able to go, 'Here, just watch this,' show and tell," Reilly says.
What's next: Kartel is raising a new funding round, led by Maven Growth Partners and joined by Sunday Ventures, Elevate and TopRidge Investments. The startup previously raised $2 million from Connectic, Fourward and Arcadian.
- The company is also hiring to grow its 18-person team.
