Liège-Barchon (Belgium) & London (UK) – 30 January 2023/ After a 22-year career in cinema, Jerry Murdoch, CinemaNext Country Manager, UK & Ireland, has announced his plans to retire.
He will step down as Country Manager this month, to be replaced by current CinemaNext UK Sales Manager Jordan Bedding.
Over the next few months, Jerry will reduce his hours, and will spend his time supporting and assisting Jordan with the transition before assuming a newly created role within the group until he fully retires.
Jerry commented, “Tough decision. I have truly loved my role in this exciting industry. It has been rewarding in so many ways and I still get a thrill when we open a new cinema, knowing that we have helped provide a venue that will be enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of people over the years. I have met great people, the CinemaNext group have just been so supportive (through thick and thin) and the team here in the UK are my legacy. I cannot fully express my thanks for their loyalty and hard work over the years we have worked together. I am honoured that CinemaNext have asked me to carry on in a new capacity, but it is time to hand over the reins and I wish Jordan nothing but tremendous continued success.”
Georges Garic, CinemaNext CEO, added, “I was terribly sorry when Jerry first came to me to discuss his retirement plans, but I fully support his decision to take a step back after more than two decades in the business and wish to pay tribute to the contribution he has made to our group, building up CinemaNext UK from a two-person operation to one of our crown jewels in just 7 years. Our UK business has totally changed as a result of the growth under his leadership and our reputation has been built on a strong product portfolio and unrivaled service offering for exhibitors. Jerry has led his team with passion and professionalism, and I look forward to working with him on a variety of projects in the coming months. In the meantime, it is always rewarding to be able to promote from within our organisation. Jordan Bedding has proven to be popular with both his colleagues and partners throughout the industry. He is focused on continuing the growth of the leading UK cinema integrator, and I look forward to working with him and his team.”
Jordan Bedding is well known in the industry and has a wide range of experience designing and delivering cinema projects. Based in West London, he will now report directly to CinemaNext CEO Georges Garic.
After university, Jordan started his career in 2009 with Curzon Cinemas, holding various positions, including Cinema Development and Project Manager.
He joined CinemaNext UK in 2019 in the role of Technical Sales Manager and is currently responsible for managing the key accounts for the business.
Jordan commented: “These are exciting times for cinema. I am thrilled to accept this opportunity and to be part of the further development of the UK operation of CinemaNext. I look forward to working with my UK and European colleagues, with the UK exhibitors and to continue to develop new products and services for our industry.”