LA Opera to Appoint Keith R. Leonard, Jr., and Courtney Reum to Board of Directors

(Los Angeles) September 21, 2015 - Plácido Domingo, LA Opera's Eli and Edythe Broad General Director, announced that two new members were elected today to the company's board of directors: Keith R. Leonard, Jr., and Courtney Reum.

"I welcome our two newest members of the LA Opera board of directors," said Mr. Domingo. "As we celebrate our notable achievements throughout our 30th Anniversary Season, it is even more important to continue looking ahead to the future. I look forward to working with them in their new leadership roles with LA Opera as we continue to expand the definition of what our opera company can be in the 21st century."

"The LA Opera board of directors is a special group of individuals with a deep-rooted love of opera and a passion for making our community stronger," said Marc Stern, the chairman of LA Opera's board of directors. "I am excited about the energy and vision that Keith and Courtney will bring to LA Opera, as we continue to build Los Angeles into a world-class destination for the arts."

Keith R. Leonard, Jr. is president, chief executive officer and member of the board of KYTHERA Biopharmaceuticals, which discovers, develops and commercializes differentiated drugs and medical devices that enable its customers to achieve a healthy and positive self-image across all stages of life. As co-founder of the company since 2005, he has been attracting a world-class management team and setting a strategic course for the company. From 2001 to 2004, he served as senior vice president and general manager of Amgen Europe and was responsible for all commercial operations in 28 European countries. He previously served on the boards of early-stage biotech companies Affymax, Inc. and ARYx Therapeutics, Inc., and is a current board member at Anacor Pharmaceuticals, Inc. He was formerly an active-duty officer in the U.S. Navy. He earned a B.S. in engineering from UCLA, a B.A. in history from the University of Maryland, an M.S. in engineering from the UC-Berkeley and an M.B.A. from the Anderson School of Management at UCLA.

Courtney Reum is an innovative eco-entrepreneur with a background in building consumer products brands. At the age of 27, he endeavored to create "a better way to drink" and from that VEEV has become one of the pioneering artisanal brands in the spirits industry. Prior to starting VEEV Spirits with his brother Carter, he began his career as an investment banker at Goldman Sachs in New York working with such brands as Procter & Gamble, Under Armour and Vitamin Water. He and his brother have been honored by several entrepreneurial groups such as the "30 Under 30" list, the Inc "500 fastest growing private companies in America" and the Goldman Sachs Builders + Innovators 100 "Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs." He serves as one of the Mayor's Commissioners for the Los Angeles Convention Center & Tourism Authority. He holds a B.A. with distinction in economics and philosophy from Columbia University and is an alumnus of Harvard Business School (also the subject of a case study taught in the business school entitled "VEEV on the Rocks").