This week has been a significant one for the newly merging Warner Bros. Discovery, which has seen monumental changes in leadership due to the merger. CEO of WarnerMedia Jason Kilar announced his departure from the company on Tuesday, followed by Ann Sarnoff, WarnerMedia chairman, and Andy Forssell, HBO Max Exec, also leaving their positions. CEO of Discovery, David Zaslav, is set to continue in the position of CEO for the company.
Deadline reported on Zaslav’s official leadership announcements today, beginning with J-B Perrette taking on CEO and President of Warner Bros. Discovery Global Streaming and Interactive Entertainment. Zaslav also announced that Kathleen Finch, who has historically overseen unscripted programming, will work as Chairman and Chief Content Officer.
Toby Emmerich from Warner Bros. Pictures, Casey Bloys from HBO, and Channing Dungey from Warner Bros TV will all remain in their positions of heads of their respective companies.
Other appointments include Gerhard Zeiler as president of international, Bruce Campbell as Chief Revenue and Strategy Officer, and David Leavy as Chief Corporate Affairs Officer.
“We are so excited to bring the heritage and legacies of these two great companies together by creating Warner Bros. Discovery, and I am proud that our new executive management team blends world-class leaders from both organizations as we take our first step toward one single cohesive, collaborative culture,” Zaslav said. “Today’s announcement combines a strong team of professional managers in a simpler organizational structure, with fewer layers, more accountability, and a singular strategic focus as a global pure-play content company. I look forward to rolling up my sleeves with this team so that, together, we can write this next exciting chapter.”
This is a defining moment for Warner Bros. Discovery and everything that falls under the newly merged company’s large umbrella and the streaming landscape itself. The $43 million merger is expected to be officially complete sometime next week or as early as this Friday.