About HIT Entertainment
HIT Entertainment, owned by private equity investment group Apax Partners, is one of the world's leading independent children's entertainment producers and rights-owners. HIT's portfolio includes properties, such as Barney™, Bob the Builder™, Thomas & Friends™, Pingu™, Fireman Sam™, Angelina Ballerina™ and Rainbow Magic™. HIT represents Chapman Entertainment's Fifi and the Flowertots™ and Roary the Racing Car™ in North America and Japan, as well as Wallace & Gromit™, Shaun the Sheep™, Timmy Time™ and Aardman Classics from Aardman Animations. HIT also acts as a worldwide representative for The Jim Henson Company's library of classic family brands and as representative for The Wiggles® in the UK.
Launched in 1989, HIT's lines of business span television and video production, content distribution, publishing, consumer products licensing, live events and attractions and has operations in the UK, US, Canada, Hong Kong and Japan. HIT is a part-owner of US preschool channel, PBS KIDS Sprout℠, and international preschool channel JimJam, (outside of the US, UK and China).
For more information, visit http://www.hitentertainment.com.
Jim Weight
Chief Financial Officer, HIT Entertainment
Jim Weight was appointed Chief Financial Officer in August 2005 for HIT Entertainment, one of the world's leading independent children's entertainment companies, following its acquisition by private equity firm Apax. Weight is responsible for the company's global financial operations and business development in the UK, US, Japan, Hong Kong and Canada. HIT's portfolio of internationally renowned pre-school properties include Bob the Builder™, Barney™, Thomas & Friends™, Angelina Ballerina™ and Pingu™ and the Company's business activities span television and video production, publishing, consumer products licensing and live events.
Weight is a seasoned international finance executive with more than 20 years of experience in both the private and public sectors. With extensive experience in private equity, Weight has worked as an independent executive, spearheading deals for many of the world's leading firms including Apax, Permira, Blackstone and Fortress.
Prior to consulting, Weight was the Chief Financial Officer for one of the UK's largest private healthcare companies, Westminster Health Care Group, for almost three years. In 2002, Weight led the group's one billion euro exit buyout between Goldman Sachs and Welsh Carson and it is widely regarded as one of the most successful buyout exits in that year.
Weight also held a variety of senior financial and operational roles with Kingfisher PLC, one of the UK's leading retailers, for more than 6 years. Weight began his career at The Boston Consulting Group working as a Consultant across several sectors including retail and finance. Weight worked for the company's operations in London, Madrid and Paris for more than 8 years.
Weight holds double first class honors from Trinity College, University of Cambridge and an MBA from Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration. Weight resides in London with his family.
