Argonon names Amanda Goddard president and global CEO as founder steps up
Amanda Goddard has taken charge of Argonon as president and global CEO. She succeeds founder James Burstall, who led the company as CEO for 15 years. The change was reported by Variety on 23 September 2026.
Goddard knows the business from the inside. She joined Argonon in 2019. She was most recently chief commercial and legal officer, overseeing deals and legal affairs across the group.
That was a newly created board-level post. She was appointed to it in June 2025 and joined the Argonon board at the same time. Trade reports at the time linked the role to scaling the company and diversifying its revenue streams, according to C21Media and WorldScreen.
Burstall is not leaving. He becomes executive chairman, a board role that steps back from day-to-day running while staying involved in direction and oversight. He founded Argonon in 2011. Fifteen years is a long run for a founder chief executive.
Two further appointments complete the new top team. Matt Widmayer moves up from CFO of Argonon USA to global CFO, the executive in charge of finance across the whole group. Hasham Khan of ABP Advisory becomes board consultant, advising the board rather than running operations.
Argonon is an independent global production group based in the United Kingdom and the United States. It is headquartered in London, with hubs in Glasgow, New York, Oklahoma and Los Angeles, according to Argonon. Its IP library, meaning the shows and formats it owns and can license to broadcasters and streamers, runs to more than 5,800 hours of content.
What makes this stand out is continuity. Goddard has worked alongside Burstall for seven years. For the crews and writers whose shows either get made or do not, the new boss is a familiar face.
