Paramount Skydance names CEO leadership team ahead of Warner Bros. Discovery deal

LOS ANGELES: Paramount Skydance Corporation has unveiled the CEO Leadership Team that is expected to run the combined company following the anticipated completion of Paramount’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD).

The new company will operate under the Skydance name and will be led by Paramount chairman and CEO David Ellison and co-CEO Ynon Kreiz. The leadership team brings together senior executives from both companies, with each member reporting directly to the two CEOs.

The appointments come as the proposed combination seeks to bring Paramount’s and WBD’s film, television, streaming, news, sports and entertainment assets under one company.

Ellison will focus on long-term strategy, creative direction, talent relationships, strategic partnerships, technology and capital allocation. Kreiz will oversee day-to-day management and integration of the combined business, while Skydance president Andy Gordon will work with both executives on strategic priorities.

The corporate leadership team will include Andy Gordon as president, Dennis Cinelli as chief financial officer, Makan Delrahim as chief legal officer and president, global corporate affairs, Dane Glasgow as chief product officer, Rebecca Mall as chief marketing officer and Melissa Zukerman as chief communications officer.

On the business side, Casey Bloys will serve as co-chair and chief content officer of Skydance Direct-To-Consumer (DTC), overseeing HBO Max and Paramount+ original programming and streaming operations.

George Cheeks will co-lead Skydance Television as co-chair and chief content officer. His remit will span Warner Bros. Television Studios, CBS Studios and Paramount Television Studios, alongside the CBS Television Network, local stations, sports and a portfolio of cable networks.

Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein will serve as co-chairmen of Skydance Motion Picture Group, overseeing the combined film business, including Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros.

DC Studios will be led by James Gunn and Peter Safran as co-chairmen, with responsibility for the strategic and creative direction of the DC Universe across film, television, animation, themed entertainment and gaming.

JB Perrette will serve as co-chair and chief business officer of both Skydance DTC and Skydance TV. His responsibilities will include global distribution, advertising sales, content sales, DTC strategy, marketing and business operations.

The news leadership team will comprise Mark Thompson as chairman and editor-in-chief of CNN Worldwide and Bari Weiss as editor-in-chief of CBS News.

A complete list of the company’s new executive leadership team is expected to be issued after the transaction closes.

Paramount chairman and CEO David Ellison said the leadership team reflects the ambition behind the combination and will bring together creative expertise, technology and scale.

He said the combined company would seek to create a creative-first home for talent while building a next-generation global media business focused on creative excellence and innovation.

Paramount co-CEO Ynon Kreiz outlined three broad priorities for the new company: strengthening its storytelling capabilities, building a more technologically advanced media business and using its combined scale and global reach to compete in an evolving entertainment market.

Kreiz said the company would focus on leveraging its creative capabilities, talent relationships, production infrastructure and intellectual property, while using technology to improve consumer experiences and operating efficiency.

The leadership structure also reflects the wider strategy behind the proposed deal, bringing together major film and television studios, streaming platforms, news operations, sports assets and entertainment brands.

If completed, the transaction will create a significantly larger media and entertainment company with Paramount+ and HBO Max among its streaming businesses, alongside major film and television operations and brands including CBS, CNN, DC, Nickelodeon, MTV, HGTV, TNT and Discovery.