MTV Exec Leaving to Join Sega GameWorks

Top MTV marketing executive John Shea is expected to disclose in the next few days that he is leaving to join Sega GameWorks, the fledging joint venture of interactive entertainment centers launched by video game maker Sega, DreamWorks SKG studio and entertainment giant MCA Inc.

As senior vice president of marketing at the cable channel, Shea has supervised all of MTV’s marketing programs. He joined the company in 1988 as director of promotions. Before that, he was an account supervisor at BBD&O;, where he handled such accounts as Visa and Seagram.

The arrival of Shea, whose title will be senior vice president of marketing and sales, marks an important step as GameWorks begins opening its centers. The first is about to open in Seattle, with ones to follow in Las Vegas and the Ontario Mills shopping development.

GameWorks is developing location-based entertainment centers where visitors will be able to play games developed through Sega. DreamWorks, founded by director Steven Spielberg, veteran studio executive Jeffrey Katzenberg and music mogul David Geffen, will supply creative input.

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As part of its push to boost its international business, Universal Studios Inc., in a realignment, named one of its senior executives, Sandy Climan, as president of worldwide business development.

Climan will retain his title of executive vice president.

Climan is a former agent at Creative Artists Agency who joined the studio along with Universal President Ron Meyer.

At Universal, Climan has been active in negotiating such major international deals as Universal’s sale of films to German television giant Kirch Group and also a similar sale to French pay-television company Canal Plus.