Jeff Sagansky

Wellesley High School Writer: Jeff Sagansky (1970)

          At WHS, everyone knew Jeff: Class President, President of Student Council, Wellesleyan editor, tennis team captain, voted Most Likely to Succeed and Most Popular Boy, winner of the Senior Cup.  But he was also known for his kindness, as well as his gregarious enthusiasm. 

            After Harvard and Harvard Business School, Jeff headed to the career in television and movies which he had wanted since he read Variety in high school.  After an introductory stint at CBS, he worked in NBC programming; his most popular show was The Rockford Files.  Eventually NBC senior vice president in charge of series programming, he created “Must See TV” — evenings that were filled with appointment television still watched today, including Cheers, Family Ties, The A Team, St. Elswehere, Miami Vice, and the Cosby Show. 

            His success led him to the opportunity of starting a new movie studio, Tri-Star Pictures, where as President he made movies like Look Who’s Talking, Peggy Sue Got Married, About Last Night, Steel Magnolias, and Glory (which was directed by his college classmate Ed Zwick).  Jeff returned to television as President of CBS Entertainment, and within 18 months he had taken the third-place network to first place, by creating series that included Chicago Hope, The Nanny, Picket Fences, and Northern Exposure.  

            Then he combined television and movies when he became president of Sony Pictures Entertainment, responsible for strategic planning and worldwide television operations. That led him to becoming CEO and President of Paxson Communications where he created PAX TV (now known as Ion Television).  

            After thirty years in the entertainment business, he turned to his CEO experience to create Special Purpose Acquisition companies (a SPAC is another way to take a private company public), and has launched public companies ranging from media to industrials to biotech.  He keeps his hand in television programming, and is currently developing shows in Hindi and Hebrew.