It’s a tough day at WarnerMedia, which is undergoing a round of major layoffs, as part of a corporate-wide restructuring led by new CEO Jason Kilar.
As part of redevelopment, the company was abandoned Jeffrey R. Schlesinger President, Warner Bros. worldwide distribution of television; Ron Sanders, President, Global Theater Distribution and Home Association and EPP, International Business Operations; en Kim Williams, EVP and Chief Financial Officer, Warner Bros. Entertainment.
They feature Bob Greenblatt, President, WarnerMedia Entertainment and Direct-to-Consumer; Kevin Reilly, Chief Content Officer, HBO Max and President, TNT, TBS, and truTV; such as Keith Cocozza, EVP of Corporate Marketing and Communications, whose execution was announced Friday.
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All in all, about 600 employees in multiple divisions are expected to be laid off, as of today. It is believed that Warner Bros. Entertainment has been heavily influenced.
“Jeff, Ron and Kim are all highly valued members of my senior management team, and we will forever be grateful for the many significant and lasting contributions each of them has made to Warner Bros.,” said Ann Sarnoff, Chairman and CEO of Warner Bros. and newly announced head of WarnerMedia’s Studio and Networks Group. “I thank them all for their dedication and years of service, and wish them all the very best in their next chapters.”
Distribution is an area that is typically vulnerable to consolidation; it was the first division to see top performances and major layoffs following the Disney-Fox merger.
Schlesinger, a 37-year-old Warner Bros. / Lorimar veteran, was responsible for worldwide distribution of Warner Bros., HBO and Turner content to all television platforms worldwide, including sales of previously produced series and feature films to U.S. broadcast and cable tours, domestic syndication and sales to SVOD and AVOD platforms. He has served in his current role since 2013.
“It has been a great 37-year run, with 26 as president of International Television Distribution, and spends six mergers, millions of miles traveled, thousands of programs sold and billions of dollars generated. In the end, it took a global pandemic and a complete reorganization of the company for me to hit the last hurdle, ”said Schlesinger. ‘I always hope to remember myself as the only studio performer to ride an’ International Screenings’ party in the studio on the back of an elephant in the ‘good old days’. ”
Sanders, a 29-year-old Warner Bros. veteran, oversees worldwide theater distribution and the home business distribution operation.
“Warner Bros. is known for being the most famous studio in history for good reason,” Sanders said. “The talent is unmatched, both on the creative and business sides, and I am honored to have been entrusted for the last 30 years to oversee a large portfolio of companies around the world.”
