David Ellison has set his C-suite at Paramount World.
With Skydance‘s deal to accumulate the media firm set to shut later this week, the mogul has formally named his senior management workforce on the firm, the individuals who will run the brand new Paramount.
“I’m thrilled to introduce our new government management workforce — backed by deep trade expertise, confirmed observe data, and a shared dedication to excellence, this world-class workforce is uniquely geared up to rise to the event and ship on our daring imaginative and prescient for a brand new Paramount,” Ellison mentioned in an announcement. “Every member was chosen to align with our objectives and with the intention to drive transformation. Collectively, we are going to foster an surroundings the place inventive and technical expertise collaborate seamlessly, marrying main applied sciences with highly effective storytelling and inventive imaginative and prescient to unlock Paramount’s full potential and assist form the way forward for our trade.”
As beforehand introduced, former NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell will likely be president of the brand new Paramount. However becoming a member of him will likely be Andy Gordon, who had been main RedBird Capital’s Los Angeles workplace, who will turn into COO of the corporate. RedBird, which is offering monetary capital to help the Skydance deal, has additionally most not too long ago employed Shell.
As anticipated, present Paramount co-CEO George Cheeks, who has additionally been main the CBS enterprise, will stay with the corporate as chair of TV media, including oversight of the corporate’s cable TV channels.
Cindy Holland, the previous Netflix content material chief, will lead new Paramount’s streaming companies, together with Paramount+ and Pluto. Holland has been a Skydance advisor since final 12 months.
Jim Sterner will be part of from Amazon Leisure to steer human assets. Stephanie Kyoko McKinnon will likely be common counsel, and Melissa Zukerman will likely be chief communications officer.
Skydance chief content material officer Dana Goldberg and former Sony Photos exec Josh Greenstein will lead the brand new Paramount studio as co-chairs.
Goldberg, a extensively revered inventive exec, will run the movie studio in tandem with Greenstein, who labored with Ellison and Goldberg for years when working advertising and marketing for Paramount earlier than departing for Sony, the place he most not too long ago served as co-president of the Movement Image Group alongside Sanford Panitch. Greenstein and Goldberg will likely be changing Brian Robbins, who was by no means anticipated to remain.
It’s an open secret that Greenstein wished extra energy at Sony, however possibilities of that taking place at Sony grew to become a no-go when film chief chairman Tom Rothman’s contract was renewed earlier this 12 months. At Paramount, Greenstein can have the twin title of vice chair of platforms, whereas Goldberg can have extra oversight of TV as chair of Paramount TV.
“Josh is a really motivated individual to succeed, and I like Dana so much,” says the previous Paramount exec.
Greenstein rose up by means of the Hollywood studio system on the advertising and marketing and distribution facet of the aisle. However as co-president of Sony’s Movement Image Group — sources say his final day in that job was Aug. 1 — Greenstein gained oversight of the inventive course of as nicely. This has given him ammunition to combat in opposition to being solid as only a advertising and marketing man.
Shell, the incoming president, was most not too long ago working with RedBird Capital, Skydance’s monetary associate within the Paramount takeover, and earlier than that was the CEO of NBCUniversal. Shell was compelled out of NBCUniversal in 2023 after acknowledging an inappropriate relationship with an worker on the firm.
Cheeks, the lone holdover from the previous Paramount’s workplace of the CEO, is an legal professional by commerce, and started his leisure profession as a lawyer and enterprise affairs government at Viacom. It was at NBCUniversal the place he added extra inventive obligations, rising to co-chairman of leisure, earlier than becoming a member of Paramount in 2020 to steer CBS.
Holland immediately lends streaming credibility to the corporate, having beforehand led content material at Netflix, earlier than exiting in 2020. She has been advising Skydance since late final 12 months, nevertheless her new function offers her formal oversight of Paramount’s streaming companies, a high precedence for the corporate below Ellison.
Pamela McClintock contributed to this report.