Riggs exits as Schuster rises in Amazon shake-up

Conrad Riggs, Amazon Studios’ head of unscripted content, has been released from the company and replaced by senior creative executive Heather Schuster.

Following the exits of Roy Price, Joe Lewis and Morgan Wandell this October, Riggs departs after three years with the company.

Amazon auto show, The Grand Tour

Riggs played a key role in bringing Jeremy Clarkson’s successful Grand Tour to Amazon. Formerly he was producing partner to Mark Burnett, with the two producing The Apprentice and Survivor.

Schuster will immediately replace Riggs, having joined Amazon in August as a senior creative exec. She also acted as producer to the Donald Trump-fronted Apprentice, working with Riggs and Burnett in the past.

Joining Schuster will be Tracey Lentz who joined the company two years ago from AMC and will now act as head of creative unscripted.

Sharon Tal Yguado, head of event series at the company, is now the most senior scripted executive on the team. She joined from Fox Networks Group, where she was executive VP of global scripted programming, in January.

Tal Yguado will be working with interim Amazon Studios boss Albert Cheng, who is COO and took over after Price’s departure.

The Amazon shake up began with the fall of the head of Amazon Studios Roy Price was accused of sexual harassment.

This week Amazon’s head of comedy and drama Lewis departed with no clear reason given for his departure. He will, however, have a production deal with the company post departure.

Wandell also left this week, joining Apple as an international creative development executive.