OREANDA-NEWS. The Board of Gate Ventures Plc is pleased to announce the appointment of Michael Grade as Non-Executive Deputy Chairman and Michael Linnit as Chief Strategy Officer with immediate effect.

Gate has recently invested in the much anticipated and publicised West End production of Sunset Boulevard, which will run in a limited season of 43 performances at ENO's London Coliseum, beginning on 1 April 2016.  Directed by Lonny Price, and starring multiple Academy Award nominated actress Glenn Close, Sunset Boulevard is the second production in the partnership between the English National Opera ("ENO") and the GradeLinnit Company, a company formed in 2008 by Michael Grade and Michael Linnit.

As Deputy Chairman and Chief Strategy Officer of Gate Ventures, Michael Grade and Michael Linnit will assist the Company to take a more active role in production and to produce further shows of similar quality and scale as Sunset Boulevard.

Michael Grade has over 40 years' experience in the entertainment industry.  He became deputy controller of entertainment programmes at London Weekend Television in 1973, moving on 11 years later to become controller of BBC One and became BBC TV's director of programmes two years later.  In 1988, Michael Grade became Chief Executive at Channel 4, bringing the hugely popular American series' Friends and ER to British television.  He left Channel 4 in 1997 and has been involved in numerous companies including First Leisure, Camelot, Pinewood Studios and Ocado.  Michael Grade was awarded CBE in 1998 for his significant achievements in broadcasting.

Michael Linnit's career spans over 50 years having worked in London, Broadway, and Hollywood.  In 1970 Michael Linnit moved to New York to work for Ashley Famous Agency and in 1971 he became Vice-President of the Company, representing actors, writers, and directors in Hollywood.  In 1973 Michael Linnit produced his first West End play What if You Died Tomorrow by David Williamson and has since produced a succession of plays for both the West End and globally.  In 1986 Michael Linnit returned to Hollywood and continued to produce both live entertainment and television programmes, including Fire & Ice, which was awarded Best Television Spectacular by the American Critics Circle.  Mr Linnit has recently co-produced Tom Stoppard plays Jumpers and Rock 'N' Roll, Michael Frayn's Democracy, Alan Bennett's The History Boys, the highly popular Michael Morpurgo's War Horse and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time with the National Theatre. .

Dr Johnny Hon, Chairman of Gate Ventures PLC, commented: "The addition of Michael Grade and Michael Linnit to the Board of Gate Ventures represents the commitment of the Company to become a major participant in the entertainment industry.  Lord Grade and Mr Linnit are both highly respected in the UK entertainment industry and their extensive experience and contacts will assist Gate Ventures as an active producer to scale up its operations. We look forward both of our new Directors to contributing further to highly commercially successful entertainment projects in the future."