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Skydance’s JB Perrette, who now serves as co-chair and chief business officer of Skydance TV and Skydance Direct-to-Consumer, has unveiled his new executive org structure — and announced several departures from the
pre-merged Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Skydance entities he now oversees.
Exiting the combined company are Dan Barnes, Michael Bishara, Jamie Cooke, Domenic DiMeglio, Marco Nobili, Pank Patel and Juan Sola.
From the WBD side, Barnes was previously head of global advertising revenue for HBO Max; Bishara was exec VP and general manager of global streaming and digital studios at Warner Bros. Discovery; Cooke was exec VP and GM of Central Eastern Europe, Middle East, Turkey and Africa at Warner Bros. Discovery; and Sola was head of streaming for Latin America at Warner Bros. Discovery.
On the Paramount side, Di Meglio was exec VP, chief marketing and chief data officer at Paramount Streaming; Nobili was exec VP and international general manager of Paramount+ and Patel was head of Paramount International Networks.
“Their work has been instrumental to the success of the DTC and/or TV businesses, and I am incredibly grateful for their efforts throughout their impressive tenures,” Perrette said in a memo to staffers. “Please join me in wishing them all the best on their next endeavors.”
In that memo, Perrette — who was previously WBD’s CEO/president of global streaming and games — spelled out a detailed leadership structure that he noted will likely change over time as the merger implementation continues.
“We have been as thoughtful as possible, albeit in a very compressed time frame. Despite our best efforts, there will undoubtedly be further clarifications and refinements that need to be made, particularly within sub-teams that will need to be more specifically realigned to this new structure,” he wrote. “Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding, and most importantly, your help working it through with us in this next phase to make sure we get to the right answer.”
Perrette had previously announced that his direct reports would include Jay Askanasi (Advertising), Ray Hopkins (Distribution) and David Decker (Content Sales). In the new memo, he spelled out more direct reports, including, on his global team, Jeff Cusson, EVP and Head of Communications, Skydance DTC; Shauna Spenley, CMO, Global DTC and International TV; Trey Turner, COO, International; Josh Walker, COO, DTC; Liz Wright, CFO, Skydance TV Segment; and a new head of Pluto/AVOD to be announced later.
Perrette also revealed his regional and local teams, including Andrew Georgiou, the interim President & MD Europe & Africa, who will lead Europe & Africa; James Gibbons, President & MD APAC & MENA; Kasia Kieli, President & MD, Poland; and Fernando Medin, President and MD LATAM/U.S. Hispanic.
Here’s Perrette’s full memo, with additional appointments:
Team,
As you learned from David and Ynon earlier this month, my role in the company is one that purposefully bridges DTC and TV. The industry and consumer behavior continue to evolve at a fast pace, and these two businesses have more crossover and interconnections than ever. We need to aggressively drive each business forward while also being attentive to maximize the strategic and financial opportunities between the two, and at the same time be transparent and data-led when there are inevitable trade-offs that need to be decided…make them with speed, and stay clear that our north star is what’s in the best interest of the overall Skydance company (not individual units, countries or other agendas).
To do this, we will have some leaders more dedicated to TV and others to DTC, and many leaders wearing both hats (or more). Our structure will leverage strong local/regional expertise and relationships, and global scale and capabilities … and success will require everyone to make this local and global set-up a powerful network vs. a dreaded matrix. The focus needs to be on collaboration and putting points on the board to ensure we win, rather than who put them on the board. We have a one-of-a-kind portfolio of DTC and TV assets that I’m convinced can work better and more powerfully together, engaging and delighting billions of consumers around the world while also being the cash, profit and revenue growth engine for the company.
The painful part in these transitions is that we have to say goodbye to many talented leaders who have delivered significant value to the prior companies, and more importantly, have been great friends, colleagues, and mentors to so many. I want to thank Dan Barnes, Michael Bishara, Jamie Cooke, Domenic DiMeglio, Marco Nobili, Pank Patel and Juan Sola (gracias!) for all they’ve done getting the company to where it is today. Their work has been instrumental to the success of the DTC and/or TV businesses, and I am incredibly grateful for their efforts throughout their impressive tenures. Please join me in wishing them all the best on their next endeavors.
Below is our new leadership team as of today. We have been as thoughtful as possible, albeit in a very compressed time frame. Despite our best efforts, there will undoubtedly be further clarifications and refinements that need to be made, particularly within sub-teams that will need to be more specifically realigned to this new structure. Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding, and most importantly, your help working it through with us in this next phase to make sure we get to the right answer. So, joining the previously announced Jay Askanasi (Advertising), Ray Hopkins (Distribution), and David Decker (Content Sales) to help lead this charge will be (in alphabetical order):
GLOBAL
- Jeff Cusson, EVP and Head of Communications, Skydance DTC: As previously announced by Casey, Jeff will lead the communications strategy for the streaming services with a shared reporting line to me, Casey and Mel Zukerman, Chief Communications Officer, Skydance. The international communications teams will hard-line into his organization but continue to have a dotted-line relationship into the country GM/MD and be part of their leadership team.
- Shauna Spenley, CMO, Global DTC and International TV: Shauna will expand her role to include oversight for marketing of International TV, partnering with me and George Cheeks, with all streaming and TV marketing teams internationally hard lining into her organization. This will help make the operations more effective and efficient … but local marketing teams, particularly in larger FTA markets will continue to have a dotted-line relationship into the country GM/MD and be part of their leadership team. She will also have a dotted line to Rebecca Mall, CMO, Skydance. Juan Sola’s team, Domenic’s DiMeglio’s team and marketing focused resources in other groups will move into Shauna’s team.
- Trey Turner, COO, International: In addition to his responsibilities in Finance, Trey will take on the new role of COO of International reporting to me to help steer and continue to transform the large international portfolio. Moving to Trey’s team will be Pank Patel’s strategy team, Louis Goldstein, Vanessa Brookman, Lee Hobbs and Myriam Lopez-Otazu.
- Josh Walker, COO, DTC: Josh will have a dual role of COO, DTC, reporting to me and supporting Casey, and of CFO, DTC, reporting into Dennis Cinelli, CFO, Skydance. As COO, he is responsible for business strategy and planning, content strategy, planning, analysis and acquisitions, pricing, podcasting and project/program management. Moving to Josh’s team will be Rodrigo Mazon and most of Michael Bishara’s team.
- Liz Wright, CFO, Skydance TV Segment: Liz will be the chief financial officer for the Skydance TV segment, leading finance for CBS and our global television networks business. In her new role, Liz will partner with George and me for Skydance TV and report into Dennis Cinelli.
- Head of Pluto/AVOD: This is a big and important business for us and deserves dedicated leadership to help drive it day in and day out. We will conduct a search for a strong leader of Pluto/AVOD with internal and external candidates, and I will share more as we get through that process. Reporting into this new role will be Olivier Jollet, Will Gurman, and Kevin Kroll, and on an interim basis this team will report to Josh and me.
REGIONAL/LOCAL
Internationally, we will have four regional leaders who will help drive the combined TV and Streaming businesses and will report to me. These regional leaders and their teams will have direct oversight for distribution, ad sales, business and commercial development across both networks and streaming as well as TV programming in their markets, and will work in partnership with global functional teams above as well as with Jay Askinasi in Advertising, Ray Hopkins in Distribution, and David Berson in Sports (rest assured the common objective is to be pragmatic about what makes sense or where there is value-add … we will work together to clarify further in the coming weeks). These leaders are (in alphabetical order, and to be clear only changes in reporting are listed below the regional leaders not their full teams):
- Andrew Georgiou, interim President & MD Europe & Africa will lead Europe & Africa: Andrew will be taking on a new role outside the company next year, but he has offered to help me manage this transition before his departure and as we search for his replacement. Moving to Andrew’s team will be:
- Alessandro Araimo, MD Southern Europe: responsible for Italy, Spain, France, and will now add Turkey and Africa
- Qaisar Rafique, EVP Commercial Development: will be responsible for all distribution and business development in Europe, and oversight for Central and Eastern Europe (excluding Poland)
- Reemah Sakaan, President 5 and MD UK & I: will take on leadership for the company’s UK and Ireland entertainment business, including her existing role leading Channel 5
- Christina Sulebakk, MD Nordics, Benelux, GSA: will continue to lead the Nordics, Germany, Austria, Switzerland (GSA), and Benelux
- James Gibbons, President & MD APAC & MENA will lead Asia Pacific & Middle East and North Africa (APAC & MENA): Moving under James will be Beverley McGarvey, Jason Monteiro, and Shonali Bedi.
- Kasia Kieli, President & MD, will lead Poland: Given the unique scale, profile, and breadth (i.e.: entertainment, news, sports, digital, studios) of our leading TV and digital business in this market, Kasia will continue to operate Poland as a more integrated media team.
- Fernando Medin, President and MD LATAM/U.S. Hispanic, will lead Latin America and U.S. Hispanic: Moving under Fernando will be Adam Waltuch.
A few other personnel items to share: Leah Hooper, Regional Streaming Lead for Europe, reporting to me is finishing her maternity leave and I’m looking forward to having her back in January; Ronald Goes is moving over to the Skydance TV Studios side of the business under Channing; and Efrain Miron is stepping away from the DTC organization to explore other opportunities within the company. The foundation that’s been set by Efrain’s leadership will continue to benefit the business moving forward.
I know you will likely have questions, and I fully appreciate the continued and unfortunate anxiety and distraction that this process causes. We will continue to work through it as quickly and respectfully as possible. In the meantime, please join me in congratulating this new leadership team…I’m incredibly excited to get going. The leaders announced above will now start working through their respective structures asap. Information will continue to be shared on a timely basis, and your patience, as always, is greatly appreciated … and if you have any specific or more urgent questions, please reach out to your manager or HR representative.
Thx, JB
