Stacey Snider

Raised in Philadelphia, Snider earned a degree in international relations at the University of Pennsylvania (where she roomed with future producer Wendy Finerman, who was at one time married to Mark Canton, Snider's boss at TriStar). She headed west with the intention of possibly opening a bookstore but instead obtained a law degree from UCLA. Rather than join a high-powered legal firm, Snider attempted to find employment at one of the movie studios, but to no avail. Instead, she accepted a position in the mailroom at the Triad agency but her tendency to get lost in the city hampered her advancement. In 1986, she accepted a secretarial position with a producer working with Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer and soon after was tapped by Peter Guber to work in development at the Guber-Peters Entertainment Company (GPEC). Ambitious and tenacious, Snider eventually parlayed her D-girl position into an executive vice presidency, overseeing such films as "Single White Female" (1992) and playing a role in the acquisition of the Oscar-nominated "The Remains of the Day" (1993). Courted by TriStar to accept the position of president of production, she at first turned down the offer because she considered herself lacking in production experience. Snider later reconsidered when experienced production executive Marc Platt came aboard to serve as president of TriStar. At the time of her appointment in February 1992, Snider became the highest ranking female executive at a Hollywood studio. During her tenure, the studio released such hits as "Sleepless in Seattle" (1993), "Philadelphia" (1993), "Jerry Maguire" (1996) and "My Best Friend's Wedding" (1997). After TriStar underwent reorganization in 1996, Snider took time out for motherhood and then moved to Universal Studios effective January 1997, a move that reunited her with former boss Platt. Among the slate of films the pair developed for release in 1998 was "Primary Colors," directed by Mike Nichols, and "Meet Joe Black," which co-starred Anthony Hopkins and Brad Pitt. In 1999, Snider was appointed co-chair of Universal Pictures, sharing duties with Brian Mulligan. Within months, though, another reorganization had Mulligan moving into the CFO slot and Snider as the sole chairman of Universal Pictures.Since taking over as head of Universal, Snider has overseen the release of more than 10 films that grossed in excess of $100 million. She has introduced franchises like "The Mummy" (1999) and its successful sequel "The Mummy Returns" (2001), went back for another helping of "American Pie 2" (2001) and hit pay dirt with such films as "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (2000), "The Fast and the Furious" and "K-PAX" (both 2001). Snider also wisely entered into co-production agreements on such box-office hits as "Meet the Parents" (2000) and the 2000 Oscar winning Best Picture "Gladiator." Her track record was undoubtedly one of the reasons that Universal's new parent, the French media conglomerate Vivendi, wanted to retain her services.