NEW SIGNING

California, New York,  and London based production company The Ebeling Group, which represents an award-winning collective of directorial studios around the world, has announced that Melissa Thornley will join the company as Executive Producer on June 1. She moves from the Whitehouse where she has served as Managing Director for the company’s four offices -- in New York, London, Chicago and Los Angeles -- for the past three years.  She will continue to work from her base in Chicago and focus on the Midwest and East Coast markets.

Dex Deboree has been named The Ebeling Group’s Senior Executive Producer. He has been the Executive Producer in TEG’s New York office for the last two years.

“Our company is international by nature and intentionally diverse, and Melissa has a breadth of domestic and international experience that fits us to a T,” said Ebeling Founder and CEO Mick Ebeling.   She has managed A list productions and worked with A list clients but she also has an innate entrepreneurial drive and a seasoned head on her shoulders – perfect for a company like ours that has been experiencing phenomenal growth.  Melissa and I have been mutual fans for years and her coming on board is just a natural extension of that fandom.”

Prior to serving as Managing Director, Thornley spent eighteen months as the Whitehouse EP in London, building the company’s operations and integrating the production department with its counterparts in the States.  She also served two years as Senior Producer in New York and two as Senior Producer in Chicago.  During her tenure as EP and Producer, her projects garnered awards from Cannes and the AICP to D&AD, BTAA and the Clios.

“When I first saw some of The Ebeling Group’s work I thought – how do they do that? Not only did it pique my intellectual curiosity, it moved me on an emotional level, which is a rare gift,” said Thornley.  “TEG makes top international visual talent accessible to any client anywhere.  They are pioneers on both a talent and production level -- and their roster combines a unique blend of animation and live action that is unparalleled. Frankly, coming here was a no brainer.”

Deboree added, “Melissa comes to The Ebeling Group with massive experience.  She’s done client relations at a very high level. And having been both a Managing Director, EP, and a producer for an international company Melissa sees the big picture. She understands advertising from the ground up -- she definitely ‘gets’ it.”