Mary Black-Suarez
Quick Facts
Biography
Mary Black-Suarez (born Aug 23, 1962) is an executive producer and entertainment consultant. She is the founder of MBS Entertainment and co-founder of SOMOS Productions, and has worked as executive producer on television programs for networks including Telefutura, Univision, Nickelodeon Latin America, and Telemundo. For the past 7 years, she has served as a trustee for The Latin Recording Academy (Latin Grammy), and as a member of their Executive Committee for the past 4 years.
Early life
Mary Black was born in Caracas, Venezuela on August 23, 1962. She attended the Central University of Venezuela and graduated in 1986 with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications. She later moved to the United States in 1987.
Career
Black-Suarez first worked as a producer for Luca Bentivoglio Productions in Los Angeles, CA, where she produced the programs Desde Hollywood and Fama y Fortuna. Black-Suarez worked as an executive producer for special live events at Univision from 1989-2001. She produced several annual events, including Premio lo Nuestro, Festival Calle 8, Noche de Carnaval, and Nuestra Belleza Internacional. She was also executive producer of the 26-hour live broadcast program Feliz Milenio, which covered celebrations of the new millennium around the world. In 2001, Black-Suarez founded her own entertainment consulting company, MBS Entertainment, which is based in Miami. Under her company’s name, she has worked as executive producer for programs on TeleFutura, Fox Sports Latin America, FreemantlemediaLatin America, PBS, The Latin Recording Academy, and Univision. She was also executive producer of Pitbull’s New Year’s Eve concert in 2012 and 2013.
In 2011, Black-Suarez co-founded SOMOS Productions, of which she is also Chief Operating Officer. Working under SOMOS Productions, she has worked as executive producer for Telemundo’s 2011 Billboard Regional Mexican Music Award, Latin American Music Awards and Todos Somos Héroes, NICKELODEON Latin America’s En Mi Cuadra Nada Cuadra, La Cocina de Talía and Que Chance Tengo, and is currently producing the biopic series about Mexican singer Juan Gabriel, Hasta Te Conocí, in collaboration with Disney Media Distribution Latin America.
Personal life
Mary Black-Suarez is married to Cisco Suarez, an executive producer and Senior Vice President of Special Events at Univision.
Awards and recognition
Black-Suarez has received several awards for the programs she has produced, including six Suncoast Regional Emmy Awards, two A.C.C.A. Awards, a Premios TV y Novelas award and a nomination for Best Long Form Music Video from the Latin Grammy Awards.