Javier Avitia

Javier Avitia is Senior Vice President of Business Affairs for CBS Studios International, based in Los Angeles, CA.  He is a 1987 graduate of Harvard Law School, and has worked in the entertainment field for nearly two decades.

In 1997, Javier joined Paramount Pictures where he worked first in Domestic Distribution and then in International Television.  In 2006, Paramount International Television became CBS Studios International, where Javier continues to this day.  He is primarily responsible for working with CBS’ international sales force on major output and volume deals with foreign broadcasters who license current and library CBS programming.  Prior to joining CBS and Paramount, Javier worked for Univision Communications for over 3 years and, before that, in private practice with some of Los Angeles’ preeminent law firms.

After moving to Los Angeles in 1987, Javier and a group of friends founded the Latino Lawyers Association.  He served on the board of Latino Lawyers for 11 years, including one year as Co-Chair and another year as President.  The goal of Latino Lawyers was to increase the representation of Latino lawyers in major law firms and corporations.  Since leaving the board of Latino Lawyers, Javier has been an active member of the School’s Committee of the Harvard Club of Southern California.  In this capacity, Javier interviews high school applicants to Harvard University, participates in college fairs and, generally, encourages top Latino students to apply to Harvard.

In the same way that Javier has sought to increase the number of Latinos in the legal profession and at Harvard University, he hopes that his participation as a Board Member of Imagen will enable him to encourage Hollywood to increase the number of Latinos involved in television and film.  Not just Latinos in front of and behind the camera, but also among the ranks of studio executives.

Javier and his wife Leticia live in Monterey Park, CA.  Their sons Javier and Carlos are in college.