EXCLUSIVE: Veteran talent agent Dana Sims is moving into management, joining Industry Entertainment with a talent and literary focus on the burgeoning entertainment business in Africa. Sims will continue to manage and produce with clients in all areas and will split time between Los Angeles and Johannesburg.
Sims joins Industry after serving in prominent positions at WMA, ICM and CAA for the past 25 years. She has helped build and guide the careers of powerhouse music clients Ludacris, Jill Scott, Common, Erykah Badu, 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg and others.
In a collective statement, the executive committee at Industry said of Sims, “Industry has long valued having managers who follow their passions and Dana Sims is a perfect example of just that. She’s a fantastic addition to our current group and we look forward to supporting her transition to management and using our extensive resources to champion her groundbreaking work in Africa.”
Sims started her career in marketing at Jim Snowden’s Mesa Blue Moon Recordings, and then moved on to an internship with Columbia Tristar, before eventually moving into the agency world, first at William Morris where, as an agent, she not only built hugely successful careers for her clients, but also shepherded their crossover into film and television.
After 12 years at William Morris, Sims moved to ICM where she similarly directed the careers of musical crossover talent. In this space, she became aware of and inspired by emerging talent from Africa. She began concentrating on this area bringing in African star Pearl Thusi, star of Netflix Africa’s Queen Sono.
She then moved to CAA where she worked alongside the agency’s global television group, packaging material with African-based creators both in local and international markets.
“I’m so excited to work with Industry Entertainment,” said Sims. “With such a wealth of experience with clients and producing, plus their visionary thinking for the continent of Africa, made moving into management the best choice.”