NakedSword’s Tim Valenti Named President Of Raging Hot Falcon As Chris Ward Announces Retirement
It was just five years ago when VOD conglomerate AEBN purchased Falcon Studios, merged it with Raging Stallion, and put performer turned director turned executive Chris Ward in charge of both brands. Since that time, the two studios have been virtually indistinguishable from one another. Then, just last year, AEBN scooped up another iconic gay brand, Hot House, and merged it with Raging and Falcon, creating what we now know as Raging Hot Falcon (a.k.a. Falcon Studios Group). Today? Another big shake-up, as Chris Ward announces his retirement. Tim Valenti, the CEO of fellow AEBN-owned studio NakedSword, has been tapped to replace him.
Press release via NakedSword:
San Francisco, CA- Today Falcon Studios Group announced that company president Chris Ward is retiring after twenty years in the adult industry. Ward, who co-founded Raging Stallion Studios with JD Slater in 1999, led one of the world’s largest gay porn studios and built the Falcon Studios Group through a series of mergers that brought Falcon, Raging Stallion, Hot House, and various fetish brands under one umbrella.
Amid Ward’s departure, NakedSword CEO and co-owner of AEBN Tim Valenti, will assume the role of President of Falcon Studios Group. Ward will remain at Falcon in his current capacity till the end of the year, and then in an advisory role thru Spring of 2016.
Falcon is obviously nothing close to what it once was, but with new leadership, you can’t help but be hopeful that it’ll distinguish itself from the other brands and see something of a renaissance. Tim Valenti (my former boss before leaving NakedSword in 2013) has a keen understanding of gay adult history—particularly Falcon’s—that should serve him well, so I’m excited to see what changes are in store. One small request for Tim right off the bat: No more sex on boxes, and no more shoes. Thanks.
More from the press release:
Ward remains one of the co-owners of AEBN but says he has no plans to actively participate in the industry after his departure, “I can be a very controlling person, and I want to clear out and to give Tim the space he needs to take Falcon into the future. I am thankful for that and want to spend the next thirty years doing something different…and maybe telling stories about ‘the good old days.’”
Tim Valenti says of the news of Chris Ward’s departure, “I have a great respect for the legacy that Chris Ward is leaving behind and for the legacy of the Falcon brand in general. Chris and I have have worked together for many years and I know what it takes to run the group he has worked so hard to build. I’m excited about this opportunity for all of the brands involved. All of our companies are positioned for great success moving forward.”
Valenti will still be at the helm of NakedSword, he says, “I will still be running NakedSword and overseeing the day-to-day operations of both companies. NakedSword is my baby and will always be a priority to me. In fact, we are working on a lot of new and exciting changes for 2016 and NakedSword is strongly positioned for a bright future.” Valenti closes by saying, “Myself and everyone at NakedSword wish Chris all the best the world has to offer during his well earned retirement.”
What should the new studio be called? Naked Raging Hot Falcon? Raging Hot Sword Falcon? Raging Hot Naked Falcon?
[Falcon]
