iWorld
Lucinda Martinez joins Netflix as VP, multicultural marketing
Mumbai: Netflix has brought on board veteran marketing executive Lucinda Martinez as vice president of multicultural marketing. She is set to take on her new role later this month and will report to Netflix CMO Bozoma Saint John, reported Variety.
In this newly created position, Martinez will build a multicultural marketing team and lead Netflix’s targeted marketing efforts to the Latino, Black, Asian, LBGTQ, and faith audiences.
She is a strategic marketing and management professional with a strong record of contributions in sales, marketing, new business development, new product launches, promotions, and brand management, for both business-to-business and direct-to-consumer products & services.
Martinez previously served as executive vice president of HBO and HBO Max brand marketing for more than 20 years. She was responsible for developing a distinct, resonant and inclusive brand narrative for HBO and HBO Max. She also led the expansion of talent development and emerging artist programs across all WarnerMedia brands.
“We want our marketing to be just as entertaining and inclusive as our films and shows, and want to ignite conversations about our brand worldwide,” said Bozoma Saint John, as mentioned by Variety. “Lucinda is a leader in the space and under her direction, we will continue to sharpen the inclusion lens in our marketing and engage our audiences in authentic and culturally relevant ways.”
“When I received the call from Netflix with the opportunity of building from the ground up a global multicultural marketing team, it was a pivotal moment that I could not resist,” said Martinez about her new role. “I look forward to amplifying Netflix’s authentic storytelling and continue to elevate and celebrate diverse audiences worldwide.”
iWorld
Netflix cuts jobs in product division amid restructuring
Layoffs hit creative studio unit as leadership and strategy shifts unfold.
MUMBAI: The streaming wars may be fought on screen, but the latest plot twist is unfolding behind the scenes. Netflix has reportedly begun laying off several dozen employees from its product division as part of an internal reorganisation, according to a report by Variety. The cuts are believed to have primarily affected the company’s creative studio unit, which works on marketing assets such as in app trailers, promotional visuals and live experience content for the streaming platform.
The company has not disclosed the exact number of employees impacted.
According to the report, the layoffs were not tied to employee performance. Instead, the restructuring eliminated certain roles while other employees were reassigned to different teams within the organisation.
The roles affected are understood to include designers, producers and creative specialists responsible for marketing and brand experience initiatives.
The job cuts come as Netflix adjusts its leadership structure and reshapes its product and creative teams. Last month, Elizabeth Stone was promoted from chief technology officer to chief product and technology officer, giving her oversight of product, engineering and data operations across the company.
Earlier, in December 2025, Netflix also appointed Martin Rose as head of creative for global brand and partnerships, a move seen as part of a broader restructuring of the company’s brand and product functions.
Despite the layoffs, Netflix remains one of the largest employers in the streaming sector. The company is estimated to employ around 16,000 people globally, with roughly 70 percent of its workforce based in the United States and Canada. In 2023, the company reported approximately 13,000 employees, indicating that its headcount had grown significantly before the latest restructuring.
The workforce changes arrive at a time when Netflix is navigating a shifting financial and strategic landscape in the global entertainment industry.
The streaming giant recently secured $2.8 billion in additional cash after receiving a breakup fee from Paramount Skydance following its withdrawal from a deal involving Warner Bros. Discovery.
Speaking to Bloomberg, Netflix co chief executive Ted Sarandos explained that the company had evaluated multiple scenarios during the negotiations but chose not to match the competing offer once it learned that a higher bid had been submitted.
Netflix had capped its offer at $27.75 per share and ultimately stepped back rather than pursue Paramount’s $111 billion acquisition deal, which included a personal guarantee.
Sarandos also cautioned that the financing structure behind the Paramount Skydance transaction could have ripple effects across the entertainment industry.
According to him, the debt heavy deal could trigger significant cost cutting, with David Ellison, chief executive of Paramount Skydance, expected to eliminate about $16 billion in costs and potentially cut thousands of jobs as part of the integration process.
For Netflix, the current restructuring appears to be part of a broader attempt to streamline operations while continuing to invest in product, technology and global content even as the streaming industry enters a new phase of consolidation and financial discipline.
