JB Perrette shakes up Skydance as seven senior executives exit and new structure takes shape

MUMBAI: JB Perrette has sent the farewell cards before the welcome mats. On Thursday, the co-chair and chief business officer of Skydance DTC and Skydance TV told staff that seven senior executives are leaving, and in the same memo he unveiled the people who will run streaming and international television in the combined company.

The exits read like a roll call of the old Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount order. Dan Barnes, head of global advertising revenue at HBO Max, goes. So do Michael Bishara, executive vice president and general manager of global streaming and digital studios at Warner Bros. Discovery, and Jamie Cooke, executive vice president of central Europe, the Middle East, Turkey and Africa. From the Paramount side, Domenic DiMeglio, chief marketing officer and chief data officer of Paramount streaming, Marco Nobili, executive vice president and international general manager of Paramount+, and Pank Patel, head of international media networks, are on their way out. Juan Sola, who ran streaming for Latin America at Warner Bros., completes the list.

Perrette did not dress it up. “We have to say goodbye to many talented leaders,” he wrote, adding that he was “incredibly grateful for their efforts throughout their impressive tenures.” He did not say where they are going next.

The merger that created the enlarged Skydance carried a reported $110 billion price tag, and the clean-up has now reached the middle floors. Perrette admitted that the structure came together in a “very compressed timeframe” and that more tweaks are coming, particularly in the sub-teams. He also owned up to the “unfortunate anxiety and distraction” the exercise causes.

Who stays and who gets bigger

Jeff Cusson becomes executive vice president and head of communications for Skydance DTC, with a shared reporting line to Perrette, Casey Bloys and Melissa Zukerman, the group’s chief communications officer. International comms teams will report to him, with a dotted line to their country heads.

Shauna Spenley, chief marketing officer of global DTC, adds international TV marketing to her patch. All streaming and TV marketing teams outside the US will report to her, which Perrette says will make operations “more effective and efficient”. Local teams in the larger free-to-air markets keep a dotted line to their country general manager or managing director. She also has a dotted line to Rebecca Mall, the group’s chief marketing officer. The teams of Sola and DiMeglio, along with marketing staff scattered elsewhere, move under her.

Trey Turner, already in finance, becomes chief operating officer of international, reporting to Perrette. Patel’s strategy team moves to him, along with Louis Goldstein, Vanessa Brookman, Lee Hobbs and Myriam Lopez-Otazu.

Josh Walker wears two hats. As chief operating officer of DTC he reports to Perrette and supports Bloys. As chief financial officer of DTC he reports to Dennis Cinelli, the group’s chief financial officer. His brief covers strategy and planning, content strategy and acquisitions, pricing, podcasting and programme management. Rodrigo Mazon and most of Bishara’s team join him.

Liz Wright is chief financial officer of the Skydance TV segment, handling CBS and the global networks business, and reports to Cinelli. She works alongside Perrette and George Cheeks.

They join Jay Askinasi (advertising), Ray Hopkins (distribution) and David Decker (content sales), who were named earlier.

Pluto looks for a captain

Pluto and the wider ad-supported streaming business get their own boss, though not yet. The business is “big and important”, Perrette says, and “deserves dedicated leadership to help drive it day in and day out.” A search is under way, with internal and external candidates in the running. Olivier Jollet, Will Gurman and Kevin Kroll will report to the new head. Until then, they answer to Walker and Perrette.

The world, in four slices

Internationally, four regional leaders will run combined TV and streaming businesses, covering distribution, ad sales, commercial development and TV programming. All four report to Perrette.

Andrew Georgiou stays as interim president and managing director of Europe and Africa while a successor is found. He is leaving for a role outside the company next year, but has offered to “help me manage this transition”, in Perrette’s words. Reporting to him: Alessandro Araimo (southern Europe, now with Turkey and Africa added to Italy, Spain and France), Qaisar Rafique (distribution and business development across Europe, plus oversight of central and eastern Europe excluding Poland), Reemah Sakaan (UK and Ireland, alongside Channel 5) and Christina Sulebakk (the Nordics, Benelux, Germany, Austria and Switzerland).

James Gibbons runs Asia Pacific and the Middle East and North Africa, with Beverley McGarvey, Jason Monteiro and Shonali Bedi moving under him. Fernando Medin takes Latin America and US Hispanic, with Adam Waltuch joining his team. Kasia Kieli keeps Poland, which Perrette says will operate as “a more integrated media team” given its scale across entertainment, news, sports, digital and studios.

The big idea, and the small print

Perrette wants a “powerful network vs. a dreaded matrix”, and says the north star is “what’s in the best interest of the overall Skydance company”, not individual units or countries. He also wants staff to focus on “putting points on the board” rather than on who scored them.

A few other moves. Leah Hooper, regional streaming lead for Europe, returns from maternity leave in January. Ronald Goes moves to Skydance TV Studios under Channing Dungey. Efrain Miron steps away from DTC to explore other options within the company.

Perrette closed by saying, “I’m incredibly excited to get going.” Seven chairs are now empty, one regional throne is up for grabs and Pluto is waiting for its commander. The boxes have been drawn. The tricky part is getting people to sit in them.