Ingenious Media

Profits are roaring ahead at Ingenious Media, the entertainment consultancy founded by Patrick McKenna in 1998. Ingenious is split into five divisions, covering asset management, corporate finance, consulting, investment and ventures,
and makes its money organising finance for film and TV projects. An accountant by trade, McKenna started out at Deloitte Touche, where he headed its media and entertainment group, before becoming right-hand man to West End showbiz impresario Lord Lloyd Webber and his Really Useful Group.

In 2003-04, Ingenious’ profits rose from £18m to £25m on sales of £43m – a juicy margin of nearly 60%. McKenna’s coups have included cobrokering Robbie Williams’ record deal with EMI, reputedly worth £80m, and advising Victoria Beckham on her career. He has also invested in pop svengali Simon Fuller’s company, 19, which produces the Pop Idol TV shows, and has advised on the flotation of RDF Media and on a £23m deal for Hat Trick, producer of Have I Got News For You.

McKenna’s latest plan is to invest £110m in the movies, defying the gloom that has pervaded the British film industry since the revision of supportive tax breaks. The films he is backing range from X-Men 3 (whose studio, Fox, is owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp) to Woody Allen’s next British movie (as yet untitled), to be produced by BBC Films. In 2003, the generous McKenna stunned the audience at a gala fundraiser for London’s Young Vic theatre by handing over a £1m donation.