The entertainment industry’s leading business managers — the trusted advisers successfully overseeing key strategic and financial decisions for their high-profile clients amid a year marked by disruption and economic volatility — will gather at CUT at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel for The Hollywood Reporter’s 15th annual Power Business Managers event.
Anna DerParseghian, managing partner at PTD Business Management, will be honored with THR’s Business Manager Icon award, recognizing her exceptional achievements in the field. DerParseghian, a perennial on THR‘s annual list of the top business managers in Hollywood and one of only a handful of female managing partners in entertainment business management, continues to manage the boutique firm based in Sherman Oaks, boasting some of Hollywood’s biggest A-list as clients.
This year’s Power Business Managers event, a breakfast to be held at Wolfgang Puck’s CUT on Oct. 22, will feature a keynote conversation with Linda Lichter, founding partner of Lichter, Grossman, Nichols, Feldman, Rogal, Shikora, & Clark. Lichter was one of the first female lawyers to be a named partner in an entertainment law firm and one of the first lawyers to work in the independent film world. In 2024, she was inducted as a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences and has been on the board of LA Theatre Works for 35 years. Additionally, she is the chair of the Board of Governors of the Telluride Film Festival, where she’s served on the board since 2010.
THR’s 2025 Power Business Managers list will be unveiled in the Oct. 22 issue of the weekly magazine. City National Bank — which has served the entertainment industry for more than 70 years, working with clients in business management, film, television, music and sports industries — is returning as the presenting sponsor of the event. “Exceptional business managers are the driving force behind the success of today’s top talent, bringing vision, strategic expertise and innovative thinking to the table,” said JaHan Wang, head of entertainment and sports banking at City National Bank. “City National Bank is committed to recognizing and supporting these outstanding leaders, which is why we’re proud to partner with the Power Business Managers event, honoring their achievements, celebrating their impact and acknowledging the significant contributions they make in entertainment and business.”
Wheels Up and Delta Air Lines will also sponsor the event. Wheels Up and Delta are strategic partners, connecting private and commercial aviation and offering an elevated and seamless travel experience that meets the distinct needs of entertainment professionals.
Last year’s event, held at Spago Beverly Hills, featured a keynote conversation with WME’s Dan Limerick where Jane Lynch presented John McIlwee, founder of J. McIlwee & Associates, Inc., with THR’s Business Manager Icon award.
