Xicoia, the world’s first AI talent studio and creator of AI performer Tilly Norwood, has hired former Amazon Prime Video Mark Whelan as head of strategy and operations.
Whelan will work directly with CEO and creative lead founder Eline van der Velden of Particle6 — who talked in depth with The Hollywood Reporter about her plans for Hollywood domination last year — to “scale the studio’s ambitious vision,” said the studio, “beginning with the rapid expansion of AI actor Tilly Norwood and the launch of the Tillyverse, a dynamic, constantly evolving digital universe where Tilly and a new generation of AI characters will live, collaborate and build careers.” The Tillyverse, they added, is set to launch later this year.
Whelan joins from Amazon, where he led its social expansion across numerous territories and spent six years shaping EU-wide social strategy for major brands including The Grand Tour and Clarkson’s Farm.
Van der Velden said: “Mark is a brilliant storyteller with a rare skillset, and I couldn’t be more excited to have him join Xicoia. He understands comedy, character-building, AI, audience behaviour and digital culture, which is exactly what Tilly — and the wider business — needs at this stage.
“Together, we’re building something entirely new. Tilly Norwood isn’t just an AI character — she’s a personality, a brand, and a future global superstar with a compelling narrative arc,” van der Velden added. “Mark will help us craft and shape every layer of her world, from her humour, daily life and career choices to how she interacts with fans across various platforms. It all promises to be bold, playful, a little chaotic — and impossible to ignore.”
Mark Whelan added that the role is a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
“AI is evolving at breathtaking speed, and combining cutting-edge tech with ambitious creative thinking means we’re not following an industry playbook at Xicoia, we are writing it,” he said. “Tilly already has the momentum, an audience and the cultural spark. Now we’re writing her story and building her universe. It’s a huge responsibility, but an incredibly exciting one. I think the world is going to have a lot of fun watching what happens next.”
Alongside spearheading Tilly Norwood’s growth, Whelan will lead the team in the development of new proprietary AI characters for use by Xicoia and Particle6, as well as oversee the creation of bespoke AI talent commissioned by third parties.
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