{"id":144811,"date":"2025-09-09T19:44:07","date_gmt":"2025-09-09T19:44:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/144811\/"},"modified":"2025-09-09T19:44:07","modified_gmt":"2025-09-09T19:44:07","slug":"paramount-communications-exec-justin-dini-departing-in-wake-of-skydance-deal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/144811\/","title":{"rendered":"Paramount Communications Exec Justin Dini Departing In Wake Of Skydance Deal"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tJustin Dini<\/a>, who steered communications<\/a> at Viacom<\/a> and then continued to lead that corporate function amid multiple mergers, transactions, controversies and rebrandings, is departing the company.<\/p>\n

\n\tDini joined Viacom in 2017 after a stint at blue-blood corporate communications firm Brunswick, reporting to former CEO Bob Bakish<\/a>. In 2019, the company acquired free streaming outlet Pluto TV and re-merged with corporate sibling CBS Corp., rebranding itself as ViacomCBS. Along with the uncertainty of Covid, Dini remained in his role as controlling shareholder National Amusements opted to sell its interest in Paramount<\/a> to Skydance and then merge fully with the company.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe Paramount-Skydance deal closed last month. Melissa Zukerman, former co-head of PR firm Principal Communications and a longtime adviser to Skydance CEO David Ellison, was named Chief Communications Officer at Paramount as the merger was closing.<\/p>\n

\n\tIn an internal memo, Dini highlighted the fact that he and his colleagues have \u201cbeen through a lot together.\u201d His wry list included \u201crebrands and restructures, mergers and acquisitions, a pandemic, the occasional lawsuit, and more than a few pivots and peaks.\u201d He saluted his team\u2019s efforts on behalf of Paramount, \u201ceven in the most challenging moments.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tHe also included a shoutout to Zukerman. \u201d Mel and I have\u00a0worked\u00a0together\u00a0closely\u00a0throughout this transition\u00a0and I\u2019m grateful for her\u00a0partnership. I know the work is in great hands, and I\u2019ll continue to be a resource for her and the team as she steps into the role.<\/p>\n

\n\tHere is Dini\u2019s full memo:<\/p>\n

On my very first day at what was then Viacom in 2017, I walked into a war room\u2014and, in many respects, I never left.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Over the past eight years we\u2019ve been through a lot together\u2014rebrands and restructures, mergers and acquisitions, a pandemic, the occasional lawsuit, and more than a few pivots and peaks. The one constant that has defined my time at this company through it all has been the quality of the people I\u2019ve had the opportunity to work with: the very best in the business, who bring equal measures of humanity, generosity, expertise, and commitment. This team shows up each day to tell Paramount\u2019s story\u2014and does so with purpose, even in the most challenging moments.\u00a0
\u00a0
I feel enormously lucky to have been part of this team. I\u2019ve had the chance to work on stories that mattered, to navigate a fast-changing landscape alongside colleagues I deeply respect, and to be part of a team that cares not only about the work, but about one another. That\u2019s rare. And it\u2019s something I\u2019ll always carry with me.<\/p>\n

As I look ahead\u00a0to my next chapter,\u00a0I\u2019m also mindful of what\u2019s next for the team. Mel and I have\u00a0worked\u00a0together\u00a0closely\u00a0throughout this transition\u00a0and I\u2019m grateful for her\u00a0partnership. I know the work is in great hands, and I\u2019ll continue to be a resource for her and the team as she steps into the role.<\/p>\n

It has been the ride\u2014and the privilege\u2014of a lifetime to help shepherd this iconic company through a period of enormous and transformational change.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Thank you again\u2014for the trust, the partnership, and the good humor along the way. While Friday is my last day, I\u2019ll always be a phone call away\u2014and will be cheering you on from afar.<\/p>\n

Best,
Justin<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Justin Dini, who steered communications at Viacom and then continued to lead that corporate function amid multiple mergers,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":144812,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[54],"tags":[89842,7254,88,9135,89843,4208,3093,92,89844],"class_list":["post-144811","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tv","tag-bob-bakish","tag-communications","tag-entertainment","tag-executives","tag-justin-dini","tag-paramount","tag-paramount-global","tag-tv","tag-viacom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/144811","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=144811"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/144811\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/144812"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=144811"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=144811"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=144811"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}