Skydance has set its C-suite.
David Ellison announced the senior executives that will help him run the combined Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery when the deal closes Tuesday.
“Together, Paramount and Warner Bros. will form a creative-first home with the scale, imagination and technology to define entertainment for a generation,” Ellison said. “The leaders joining me have built some of the most beloved franchises and businesses in the industry, and they share a deep respect for the creative process and a belief that great stories have the power to entertain, unite and inspire audiences around the world.
As previously announced, Ellison will be chairman and CEO, with former Mattel chief Ynon Keiz joining him as co-CEO.
Casey Bloys will run Skydance’s streaming business, adding oversight of Paramount+ and Pluto to his HBO Max fiefdom. Bloys will be tasked with overseeing a sprawling streaming empire, one that will be among the biggest in the world.
Josh Greenstein and Dana Goldberg will run the combined company’s film studios, a massive role at a company that is legally committed to releasing 32 movies per year in just two years time. George Cheeks will rule TV, overseeing the linear channels and TV studios, which still holds enormous influence and sway.
Mark Thompson will run CNN, keeping a level of stability at the cable news channel and providing an answer to one of the deal’s most pressing questions: Will he or won’t he stay?
Thompson told staff Monday that he and Ellison were able to come to terms on a new deal, keeping him in charge of the venerable cable news channel. Bari Weiss, meanwhile, will keep running CBS News.
“I’m convinced that from David Ellison on down, Paramount Skydance leadership really does believe in news alongside entertainment as a top strategic opportunity for our new company. They’ve seen our digital strategy and are as excited about it as we are,” Thompson told CNN staff. “And second, having now spoken to them at length on the topic, I have real confidence that they both understand and will fully support the principle and practice of the kind of independent news that CNN has always stood for.”
And a few other top executives from WBD will join, with James Gunn and Peter Safran running DC Studios, and JB Perrette becoming co-chair and chief business officer of Skydance TV and Skydance DTC, effectively holding oversight of the business of TV and streaming while Bloys and Cheeks focus on content, marketing and strategy.
Skydance is set to be formed on Tuesday when Paramount completes its mega-acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. The combined company will be a giant in the entertainment business, rivaling only Disney and Netflix in terms of scale.
Kreiz added, “Our goals as a team are to establish Skydance as the premier Hollywood content engine and home for the world’s leading storytellers, accelerate our integrated DTC platform with the best content, leading-edge technology and superior consumer experience, and optimize our highly profitable linear TV portfolio, reaching audiences globally across every entertainment vertical.”
Skydance’s C-suite chart is below:
Enterprise Leadership
David Ellison, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Ynon Kreiz, Co-Chief Executive Officer
CEO Corporate Leadership Team
Andy Gordon, President
Dennis Cinelli, Chief Financial Officer
Makan Delrahim, Chief Legal Officer and President, Global Corporate Affairs
Dane Glasgow, Chief Product Officer
Rebecca Mall, Chief Marketing Officer
Melissa Zukerman, Chief Communications Officer
CEO Business Leadership Team
Casey Bloys, Co-Chair and Chief Content Officer, Skydance DTC
George Cheeks, Co-Chair and Chief Content Officer, Skydance TV
Dana Goldberg, Co-Chair, Skydance Motion Picture Group
Josh Greenstein, Co-Chair, Skydance Motion Picture Group
James Gunn, Co-Chairman of DC Studios
JB Perrette, Co-Chair & Chief Business Officer, Skydance TV and Co-Chair & Chief Business Officer, Skydance DTC
Peter Safran, Co-Chairman of DC Studios
CEO News Executive Leadership Team
Mark Thompson, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of CNN Worldwide
Bari Weiss, Editor-in-Chief of CBS News