Biography
About Christine Simmons
Leadership at Hidden Empire
Christine N. Simmons serves as Chief Operating Officer of Hidden Empire Film Group, where she leads enterprise strategy, operations, revenue architecture, and cross-vertical growth. Working at the intersection of film, sports, culture, and commerce, she partners with company founders to build scalable infrastructure, strengthen investor relations, and expand business opportunities across multiple sectors.
Strategic Advisory Firm
Alongside her role at Hidden Empire, Simmons founded and leads Alis Volat Propriis, LLC, a strategic advisory firm serving startups, growth-stage companies, global brands, athletes, and founders. As a fractional CEO, COO, and growth strategist, she focuses on operational excellence, investor positioning, brand partnerships, and revenue innovation while helping organizations scale without losing cultural relevance.
Notable Advisory Work
Through her advisory firm, Simmons has supported organizations including National Lampoon, Cedric the Entertainer’s Las Vegas residency, Candace Parker’s Go Genius platform, SFMA Alliance, and various sports and entertainment ventures. Her approach centers on building strong operational structures while creating sustainable revenue opportunities.
Academy Leadership
Before joining Hidden Empire, Simmons served as Chief Operating Officer of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. She helped guide the institution through a complex period by redesigning operations, launching new revenue streams, negotiating international broadcast agreements, and leading the Academy’s COVID-19 response across 12 global cities with no reported positive cases among participants.
Inclusion & Industry Impact
During her Academy tenure, Simmons established the Office of Representation, Inclusion & Equity and co-led the Aperture 2025 strategy. These initiatives integrated inclusion standards into awards eligibility and global production practices, helping shape long-term organizational and industry-wide change.
Los Angeles Sparks Success
Previously, Simmons served as President and Chief Operating Officer of the Los Angeles Sparks. She led a major business turnaround that restored profitability, increased ticket sales by 66%, eliminated a $3 million operating deficit, and contributed to the organization's championship success in the WNBA.
Corporate Executive Experience
Simmons has also held senior executive positions at NBCUniversal, The Walt Disney Company, and Magic Johnson Enterprises. Throughout her corporate career, she generated substantial revenue growth, negotiated strategic partnerships, and developed large-scale initiatives across media, sports, and infrastructure sectors.
Recognition & Legacy
A graduate of University of California, Los Angeles and a Harvard Business School-certified finance professional, Simmons is a Regent Emeritus of the University of California. Recognized as a Top 50 COO by OnCon and an Ebony Power 100 honoree, she is known for combining operational rigor, strategic leadership, cultural insight, and business innovation to help organizations grow sustainably and competitively.
