Meet the 20 most powerful WarnerMedia execs and their top deputies. Here are the leaders who will help HBO Max battle Netflix and define AT&T's TV future. (T)
- WarnerMedia has launched HBO Max, its new flagship streaming-video service that will be the online home of all its entertainment brands, from DC to HBO and Cartoon Network.
- The streaming debut came after a nearly two-year executive shakeup that started when AT&T exec John Stankey began integrating the entertainment company into the broader telecom in June 2018, and concluded in May when CEO Jason Kilar stepped into the top job at the media company.
- With Stankey rising to become AT&T's CEO, Kilar and his senior leadership team will be shaping WarnerMedia's future from here on out, including the critical launch of HBO Max.
- Business Insider identified the 20 most powerful execs at WarnerMedia and their roles, as well as their 28 top deputies.
- Click here for more BI Prime stories.
HBO Max's release comes after nearly two years worth of high-profile executive moves that culminated earlier this month with a changing of the guards, in which John Stankey, the seasoned AT&T executive tasked with integrating Time Warner into the broader telecom, stepped down as CEO of WarnerMedia and Jason Kilar assumed the mantle.
Kilar, who was Hulu's founding chief, now leads the entertainment giant that encompasses Warner Bros., DC Entertainment, HBO, CNN, and Turner's TV channels, and the streaming-video service HBO Max.
Stankey, who is also AT&Ts chief operating officer, will oversee WarnerMedia from his perch atop AT&T, when he rises to chief executive on July 1.
Business Insider recently identified the 20 of most powerful people at WarnerMedia, as well as their 28 top deputies.
The list includes Kilar; seasoned TV executives like Robert Greenblatt and Ann Sarnoff, who are overseeing WarnerMedia's entertainment brands and Warner Bros., respectively; as well as CNN boss Jeff Zucker.
The new guard's first big task is establishing HBO Max, one of legacy media's last big streaming entrants, as a true competitor to Netflix. The new service aims to rival Netflix with programming for all audiences and the backing of HBO's premium-TV brand. HBO Max is also hoping to reshape the streaming experience by relying on a mix of on editorial curation and data to make recommendations than algorithms alone.
The platform has a lot to live up to, after Disney Plus shattered early launch expectations and reached 50 million paid subscribers in five months.
HBO Max says it's aiming for 50 million US subscribers by 2025. By comparison, HBO had 43 million US subscribers as of December, across digital and linear. Some of those viewers will get access to HBO Max with their existing subscriptions, which could bolster the service at launch.
But the WarnerMedia execs are also rolling out HBO Max while grappling with the TV and film production shutdowns and suspension of live sports that has hamstrung much of the entertainment industry in recent weeks.
The pandemic also curtailed some of HBO Max's marketing plans, and the company has been working to drum up interest online among people who are staying at home.
AT&T is still under pressure to prove to investors that the $85 billion acquisition of Time Warner was worth it.
These are the key executives to watch at WarnerMedia and its four main divisions, which include WarnerMedia Entertainment and Direct-to-Consumer (the unit responsible for HBO, Turner channels like TBS, HBO Max, and Otter Media); WarnerMedia News and Sports (which includes CNN and Turner Sports); Warner Bros.' TV and film studios; and the Sales and International arm.
This post has been updated to reflect HBO Max's launch.
Jason Kilar — CEO, WarnerMedia
Jason Kilar reigns over WarnerMedia's sprawling media empire, which spans Warner Bros. TV and film businesses; cable networks like CNN and HBO; entertainment brands like DC Entertainment and Turner Sports; and ad-tech arm, Xandr.
His appointment on May 1 was one of the last pieces of WarnerMedia's leadership puzzle to be put in place.
Kilar brings with him a wealth of digital experience to complement other WarnerMedia leaders like Bob Greenblatt, Ann Sarnoff, and Jeff Zucker, who all came from traditional TV and film backgrounds.
He was Hulu's founding CEO, helping its legacy-media owners stake a claim in and create business models for streaming video. In 2013, he left to cofound and lead short-form video startup Vessel, which was acquired by Verizon in an attempt to revive its now-shuttered mobile-video unit, Go90.
Kilar also spent about nine years at Amazon before his Hulu days, in various roles including senior vice president of worldwide application software.
At WarnerMedia, Kilar's first big tasks will be overseeing the launch of HBO Max, as well as helping the company recover from the current suspension of live sports, TV and film production shutdowns, and movie theater closures, which dragged down sales last quarter.
He's being supported by the execs on this list, as well as:
- Keith Cocozza, EVP, corporate marketing and communications, who has been with WarnerMedia since the Time Warner days, and worked in communications at Time Warner Cable before it was spun off.
- Jim Cumming, EVP & chief human resources officer, who has been with the company for about 10 years and is working across all of its divisions.
- Priya Dogra, EVP, strategy and corporate development, who also came from Time Warner and is now focused on the company's long-term strategy, particularly for its international business.
- Christy Haubegger, chief enterprise inclusion officer, who joined WarnerMedia in 2019 from Creative Artists Agency to make sure the company is both speaking to diverse audiences and has a representative workforce.
- Jim Meza, EVP & general counsel, the former AT&T exec who led the company's defense against the US Department of Justice lawsuit to block its deal to buy Time Warner.
Robert Greenblatt — Chairman, WarnerMedia Entertainment and Direct-to-Consumer
Robert Greenblatt, chair of WarnerMedia's entertainment and direct-to-consumer divisions, was CEO John Stankey's first big hire after telecom AT&T took the reins at the legacy media company in 2018.
Greenblatt, who joined WarnerMedia in 2019, is leading the company's highest-profile initiative.
He is in charge of getting HBO Max off the ground, as well as overseeing the company's legacy TV businesses including HBO and the Turner networks, and the collection of digital media brands that operate under the Otter Media umbrella.
A seasoned TV exec, Greenblatt spent eight years as chairman of NBC Entertainment before WarnerMedia. He helped revive the broadcast network's primetime lineup with shows like "The Voice," "This Is Us," and "The Good Place," and pushed the channel to the top of the broadcast-rating ranks with 18 to 49-year-olds, Variety reported. He also drove Showtime's move into original programming, with series like "Dexter," "Weeds," and "Californication." And he was a key programming exec at Fox Broadcasting in the 1990s.
Greenblatt joined WarnerMedia just as other top execs, some of whom served at the company for decades, headed for the exit. They included former HBO boss Richard Plepler, former Turner chief David Levy, and former Warner Bros. lead Kevin Tsujihara (who stepped down amid an investigation into his relationship with an actress last year).
It's Greenblatt's vision, along with Stankey's, that we'll see in HBO Max.
Read more about the key figures leading at HBO Max: Meet the 12 power players running HBO Max, AT&T's big bet to take on Netflix and Disney Plus
Greenblatt is also supported by key execs including:
- Kevin Brockman, EVP, global communications, who joined WarnerMedia after a long career at Disney.
- Jessica Holscott, EVP & chief financial officer, who was HBO's financial chief before taking on the expanded role.
- Cheryl Idell, EVP & chief research officer, who joined from Snap.
Chris Spadaccini — CMO, WarnerMedia Entertainment
Chris Spadaccini leads marketing for WarnerMedia Entertainment. He's in charge of redefining the HBO Max, HBO, TBS, TNT, and truTV brands, and reports up to Greenblatt.
Spadaccini has been positioning HBO Max as a place where iconic TV shows and movies, across all these entertainment brands, meet.
The platform's roll out will be a test for the well-respected marketing exec, who previously helped turn HBO into one of the most iconic entertainment brands on TV.
Spadaccini had to ditch his planned three-month marketing blitz for HBO Max that would have included tie-ins to marquee events like March Madness, opening weekend of the MLB season, and the Met Gala, because those events were canceled or postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, AdWeek reported.
HBO Max's brand campaign only kicked off in earnest on April 22, little more than a month before the platform's debut.
Before taking on the top marketing job at WarnerMedia Entertainment, Spadaccini had led HBO's marketing since 2016. He held a top brand and marketing position at the network before that, in which he helped launch in 2015 HBO Now, the brand's first standalone streaming subscription. Spadaccini also drove many brand pushes and marketing campaigns for shows like "Game of Thrones" and "Silicon Valley."
Business Insider named Spadaccini one of the 25 most innovative CMOs of 2019 for his work bringing elements of "Game of Thrones" in various real-life activations.
Kevin Reilly — Chief Content Officer, HBO Max; President, TNT, TBS, TruTV
Former Turner exec Kevin Reilly has HBO Max's top content job.
As chief content officer, Reilly is responsible for all the original programming heading to the service, and the licensing deals the company is striking to fill out its library with movies and TV classics, like "Friends" and "The Big Bang Theory."
He's working alongside HBO's programming president, Casey Bloys, who will also funnel programming that airs on HBO to HBO Max, like Joss Whedon's upcoming science-fiction series "The Nevers" and David E. Kelley's "The Undoing," with Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant.
Reilly's team is trying to strike a balance between reaching the core HBO audience that's over 40, and younger crowds who are more accustomed to streaming. They've been pursuing original series geared toward young adults, kids and families, and adults with a focus on women. They're also going after high-profile dramas and comedies, like a revivals of classic shows like "Gossip Girl" and "The Boondocks," as well as top creators with close ties to WarnerMedia, such as JJ Abrams and Greg Berlanti.
But heading into HBO Max's launch, Reilly's biggest hurdle might be making sure there's enough content consistently hitting the service during its crucial first year, given recent TV and film production shutdowns.
A "Friends" reunion special that was supposed to be available on HBO Max at launch has been delayed, and productions like the upcoming drama "Flight Attendant" are on hold.
HBO Max had 31 original series slated for 2020 and 50 due out the following year. The company has not yet updated those numbers.
Reilly is also continuing to lead the Turner cable channels, as president of TBS, TNT, and truTV.
Before his Turner days, Reilly held top roles at major TV networks including Fox, FX, and NBC. He oversaw the launch of shows like "Glee," "Brooklyn Nine-Nine," and "Empire" at Fox, and championed series like "The Office" at NBC. And, as president of TNT and TBS, and chief creative officer of Turner Entertainment, he spearheaded an effort to cut back on the number of commercials in shows.
Casey Bloys — President, HBO Programming
Casey Bloys is the creative force driving HBO as it tries to make more of the premium-TV shows its known for, even as rivals like Apple, Amazon, and Netflix race to beat it at its own game.
As programming president, Bloys oversees the development and production of HBO's original series, movies, and documentaries. He's been given a bigger budget to do that with in 2019 and 2020.
Bloys, who joined HBO in 2004, came up at the cable network as a programming exec under former chief executive Richard Plepler who led HBO during an era that included cultural hits like "Game of Thrones," "Veep," and "Boardwalk Empire."
Bloys was promoted to programming chief in 2016, after helping bring in a string of comedy hits like "Silicon Valley," "Veep," and "Last Week With John Oliver."
He's since helped develop dramas like "Westworld" and "Watchmen," and oversaw HBO's juggernaut "Game of Thrones."
Since Plepler departed HBO in 2019, Bloys has been leading the network alongside Glenn Whitehead, who handles business and legal affairs. Bloys has continued to pursuing boundary-pushing series like the racy teen drama "Euphoria," and "Run," a dark comedy from "Fleabag" creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge. And he's on the hunt for the network's next smash hit. He currently has a "Game of Thrones" prequel, called "House of Dragon," in the works for 2022.
Bloys also oversees original programming for Cinemax, which has struggled in the last year as pay-TV distributors stopped bundling it with HBO.
Glenn Whitehead — EVP, HBO Business and Legal Affairs
While Casey Bloys searches for HBO's next "Games of Thrones," Glenn Whitehead is his counterpart steering the broader business.
Whitehead knows HBO's business more intimately than perhaps any other executive at the company.
He's been with HBO since its early days, and remained with the company while other veterans like Quentin Schaffer, Nancy Lesser, and Plepler departed after the AT&T acquisition.
Over the past decade, Whitehead has been instrumental to coproduction and distribution deals that helped HBO land larger scale and international projects.
In 2017, he helped negotiate a coproduction deal with Sky that led to hits like "Chernobyl" and helped bring "His Dark Materials" to HBO.
Tony Goncalves — CEO, Otter Media
Greenblatt turned to a trusted AT&T digital exec to build the HBO Max platform.
Tony Goncalves, CEO of Otter Media, helped develop the platform, on top of his work leading Otter Media's digital properties. He reports to Greenblatt.
Goncalves was brought in to lend his streaming expertise to the service last May, as his Otter Media group moved under Greenblatt's oversight at WarnerMedia.
Goncalves first joined AT&T through its 2015 acquisition of DirecTV, where he served as a longtime exec overseeing the satellite-TV operator's digital efforts, including its TV Everywhere and over-the-top platforms, among other roles.
He rose in the ranks under the phone company. He was CEO of AT&T's digital brands, where he oversaw the relationship between AT&T and The Chernin Group, which operated Otter Media as a joint venture until AT&T bought full control in 2018.
And he led the launch strategy for DirecTV Now (now AT&T TV Now), which was the company's last major digital-TV initiative. The linear streaming service got off to a solid start in 2016, but lost subscribers as programming costs ballooned, discounts were nixed in an effort to become profitable, and AT&T shifted its focus in 2020 to a pricier internet-based offering that is more akin to traditional pay-TV services.
Andy Forssell — EVP & GM, WarnerMedia and Direct-to-Consumer
Andy Forssell is serving as executive vice president and general manager of WarnerMedia's direct-to-consumer businesses, which encompasses both OtterMedia and HBO Max.
Forssell has been managing much of the day-to-day development for HBO Max product, reporting to Goncalves.
He was most recently the chief operating officer at Otter Media, where insiders told Business Insider he was a key liaison between upper management and the individual brands like Crunchyroll, Rooster Teeth, and DC Universe.
Forssell joined Otter Media from its subsidiary Fullscreen, where he had been its chief operating officer. He was also a top player at Hulu for six years, where he held a number of roles, including acting CEO in 2013.
Ann Sarnoff — Chair & CEO, Warner Bros.
Ann Sarnoff moved into the top job at Warner Bros. in 2019, becoming the iconic studio's first woman chief and one of the rare Hollywood outsiders chosen to lead it.
She replaced former studio chief, Kevin Tsujihara, who stepped down amid an investigation into his relationship with an actress last year.
While well-known in entertainment circles, Sarnoff hadn't run a major film studio before relocating from New York to Los Angeles to run Warner Bros. She brings more operational and TV prowess, having spent nine years at BBC, most recently as president of BBC Studios America where she helped grow viewership for franchises like "Doctor Who" and "BBC Earth." She also served for stints at Dow Jones and the WNBA, as well as for about a decade in various roles at Viacom.
Now, Sarnoff is out to prove that the traditional TV and film studio can evolve for the digital age.
In her first year in the job, she formed a new film label to produce mid-budget movies for HBO Max.
She also made a few key appointments, including naming Tom Ascheim from Disney's Freeform to an expansive role leading global kids, young adults, and classics. It includes oversight of Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, and Boomerang, as well as Warner Bros. Animation and Turner Classic Movies.
Some of Sarnoff's top deputies include Warner Bros. veterans and recent hires:
- Johanna Fuentes, EVP, worldwide corporate communications and public affairs, Warner Bros., who is joining from Showtime on May 4.
- John Rogovin, EVP & general counsel, who has been with the studio for about 10 years, and has led the legal strategy for properties including "Superman, "The Hobbit," "The Lord of the Rings."
- Kiko Washington, EVP, worldwide human resources, Warner Bros., who has held that post since 2009 and spent most of his career at Warner Bros. and HBO.
Toby Emmerich — Chairman, Warner Bros. Pictures Group
Toby Emmerich has been guiding Warner Bros. film studios since 2017, through AT&T's acquisition of Time Warner and the division's 2019 leadership shakeup.
During that time, Warner Bros. marked its strongest year at the box office in 2018, thanks to international success like "Aquaman," "A Star Is Born," and "The Meg," as well as zeitgeist-hitting films including "Crazy Rich Asians."
But the studio's 2019 slate was marred by more flops and disappointments, like "Doctor Sleep" and "The Goldfinch," than hits like "Joker."
Emmerich's 2020 schedule might've made for a banner year for the studio, if not for widespread movie-theater closures that have stunted releases like "Birds of Prey," sent "Scoob!" straight to digital, delayed highly-anticipated films like "Wonder Woman: 1984," and pushed releases like "In The Heights" indefinitely.
Emmerich — who oversees Warner Bros. theatrical production, marketing, and distribution businesses, as well as home-entertainment operations — will have to get film production back on track and rearrange the release schedule.
Emmerich has held various leadership roles at Warner Bros. since 1992. He oversaw movies like "The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King," "The Hobbit" trilogy, "The Notebook," "Wedding Crashers," and "The Conjuring," during his tenure.
Emmerich, who reports to Sarnoff, was also part of a small leadership team that steered Warner Bros. until it found its chief. The team also included TV chair, Peter Roth, and financial chief, Kim Williams.
Emmerich's top film deputies include:
- Carolyn Blackwood, chief operating officer, Warner Bros. Pictures Group, who handles the day-to-day of Warner Bros. flagship studio as well as New Line Cinema and stage division, Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures. She's a Warner Bros. veteran who helped develop franchises like "The Conjuring" and "Lord of the Rings."
- Walter Hamada, president, DC-based film production, who is widely credited with getting the DC film universe back on track with successes like "Aquaman" and "Joker." Hamada shepherded in horror franchises like "The Conjuring" at New Line before shifting his focus to DC in 2018.
- Richard Brener, president & chief creative officer, New Line Cinema, who has overseen films like "San Andreas," "Wedding Crashers," and the "It" films, during his more than 20 years at the studio. He's also led the studio's relationships with stars like Dwayne Johnson and Will Ferrell.
- Blair Rich, president, worldwide marketing, theatrical and home entertainment, who has helped drive successes like "Joker" and "Crazy Rich Asians" since taking on the role in 2018. Rich has spent her career at Warner Bros., where she started in 1997 as a marketing trainee.
Peter Roth — Chairman, Warner Bros. Television Group
Peter Roth, who has been with Warner Bros. for 20 years, oversees creative for the company's prolific TV-studio group, under Sarnoff.
He's in charge of all of its TV-production units, which span live-action scripted shows, animation, and unscripted and alternative programming.
Roth also works closely with Jeffrey Schlesinger, the president of worldwide TV distribution, who's responsible for selling and syndicating Warner Bros., HBO, and Turner shows globally, and reports to Sarnoff.
On top of making broadcast-defining hits, like CBS' "The Big Bang Theory," Roth has pushed Warner Bros. to produce more shows for streaming platforms.
Under his leadership, its TV studios have made series like "Arrow" and "Riverdale" for The CW, "The Haunting of Hill House" for Netflix, "Shrill" for Hulu, "Shameless" for Showtime, and "Westworld" for HBO. The studios are also developing shows like "Flight Attendant" and a "Gossip Girl" revival for HBO Max.
As of February, Warner Bros. said it was producing 120 series in the US.
Much of that is likely at a standstill today. With productions halted globally, Roth and his team will have to figure how to safely restart production, and manage the demand for content from myriad streamers including HBO Max.
Roth's core team who run the day-to-day operations includes:
- Susan Rovner, president, Warner Bros. TV and Warner Horizon Scripted TV, who leads the group's flagship studio that makes scripted dramas for primetime and its unit producing scripted cable series. Rovner runs the creative side of the studios, including development and programming, and has worked with creators like Damon Lindelof and Greg Berlanti.
- Brett Paul, president, Warner Bros. TV and Warner Horizon Scripted TV, works alongside Rovner. He's more focused on strategy, operations, and production. He's also overseen deals with talent like JJ Abrams and the cast of "The Big Bang Theory."
- Mike Darnell, president, Warner Bros. Unscripted and Alternative TV. Together, the three studios are producing series like "The Bachelor" franchise, "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," and "The Voice."
- Sam Register, president, Warner Bros. Animation and Blue Ribbon Content, oversees the studio's animation and digital-series divisions, which are making shows like "Teen Titans Go!" and "Animaniacs."
- Lisa Gregorian, president and CMO, who had led the TV group's marketing since 2010, and spent most of her career at Warner Bros. She also reports to Schlesinger.
Mark Pedowitz — Chairman & CEO, The CW Network
Mark Pedowitz is the TV exec who made The CW into more than a home for teen dramas.
Pedowitz, who has led the joint venture between CBS and Warner Bros. since 2011, brought more superhero dramas like "Arrow" and "The Flash" to the CW to reach a wider audience, and elevated its slate with critically acclaimed series like "Jane the Virgin" and "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" that spoke to a slightly older crowd.
Under his leadership, The CW has also continued to create more of the young-adult fare its known for, including recent hits like "Riverdale."
The CW has benefited since 2011 from a critical distribution deal with Netflix, which helped shows that might've sputtered out, like "Riverdale," amass huge audiences in subsequent seasons after viewers discovered them on streaming.
That deal ended last year. Pedowitz will have to prove those shows can succeed without a bump from Netflix. The network's current deals split the streaming rights for new The CW shows. Seasons of "Nancy Drew," for example, hit CBS All Access after they air on TV, and past seasons of shows like "Batwoman" and "Katy Keane" are going to HBO Max.
Pedowitz has also been a driving force behind bringing current seasons of CW shows to the CW's free app, so people can catch up mid-season. Previously, viewers only had access to a handful of episodes at a time.
Thomas Geweke — Chief Digital Officer & EVP, strategy and business development, Warner Bros.
Thomas Geweke is responsible for Warner Bros. digital strategy and growth.
His job is to experiment with and champion the ways people will experience movies and TV shows in the future.
Geweke has spearheaded deals with companies like Intel to imagine how self-driving cars might be used as entertainment hubs in the future. He's also pushed the TV and film studio to experiment with virtual and augmented reality, such as its 2017 cofinancing pact with IMAX to create virtual-reality experiences around movies like "Justice League" and "Aquaman."
After joining the company in 2008, Geweke was instrumental in making Warner Bros. movies and TV shows available for digital download throughout the world, as well.
Gewecke is also the studio executive who deals with analytics and issues like piracy. Since 2018, he's overseen some of aspects of DC Entertainment's digital services, following the departure of previous leader Diane Nelson.
Geweke spent eight years at Sony BMG Music Entertainment before joining Warner Bros., and was publisher of PCWorld Online Network prior to that.
Kim Williams — EVP & CFO, Warner Bros.
Kim Williams was key figure driving Warner Bros. in the interim period between Tsujihara's departure in 2019 and Sarnoff's appointment later that year. She led the company along with Toby Emmerich and Peter Roth during that time.
As chief financial officer, Williams now works closely with Sarnoff and the rest of the senior leadership team, and handles financial reporting, budgeting, and planning for all of Warner Bros. entertainment divisions.
She's been in her current post since 2014. Before Warner Bros., Williams was an executive at the NFL and the entertainment company formerly known as Core Media Group, now Industrial Media, which works with properties like "American Idol" and "So You Think You Can Dance."
Gerhard Zeiler — Chief Revenue Officer, WarnerMedia; President, WarnerMedia International
Gerhard Zeiler, WarnerMedia's chief revenue officer, runs all advertising at AT&T.
The telecom's advertising power center was consolidated under Zeiler in April, when AT&T's ad-tech arm, Xandr, merged with WarnerMedia.
Zeiler, who has been with WarnerMedia since the Time Warner days, is now tasked with integrating WarnerMedia's ad-sales group with Xandr's ad-tech business. He'll also play an important role in bringing an ad-supported tier to HBO Max, which Reuters reported could arrive as early as 2021.
Many of Zeiler's top deputies on the WarnerMedia side came from Turner, including:
- Amit Chaturvedi, EVP, head of revenue operations and ad products, who previously led Turner's ad operations and products.
- Katrina Cukaj, EVP, ad sales strategy, who began her tenure at Turner at CNN in 1999.
- Joe Hogan, EVP, sales and marketing, who is another company veteran, now overseeing agency and client relationships, digital, direct response, and content partnerships for WarnerMedia's ad-supported networks.
- Oliver Herrgesell, EVP, communications, WarnerMedia Sales & International, who also worked with Zeiler at RTL Group before they both joined Turner in 2012.
Zeiler leads the team responsible for negotiating carriage deals with TV providers like fellow AT&T subsidiary DirecTV or cable company Comcast.
Recently, that group has been hustling to make HBO Max available through as many platforms and distributors as possible at launch. Two long-time WarnerMedia execs are driving the effort:
- Sofia Chang, president, WarnerMedia Distribution, who was a senior executive on HBO's distribution team.
- Rich Warren, president, WarnerMedia Distribution, who led Turner's distribution team.
Kirk McDonald — Chief Business Officer, Xandr
Kirk McDonald has been running Xandr since former CEO Brian Lesser's abrupt exit in March.
Xandr, AT&T's ad-tech division, was built with a goal of rivaling digital-ad giants like Facebook and Google by offering advertisers better access to data across AT&T's media portfolio as well as outside publishers, as Digiday reported in 2018.
McDonald is responsible for seeing that through. He oversees sales, communications, product marketing, and marketing strategy and execution for Xandr.
McDonald helped launched Xandr in September 2018, as part of an ad and analytics team formed within AT&T to capitalize on the Time Warner acquisition. He served as chief marketing officer in that group, and at Xandr, before rising to his current post.
McDonald joined AT&T in 2017 from ad-tech firm PubMatic. He's spent more than 25 years in advertising and media, including senior roles at Time, Inc. and CNET.
Jeff Zucker — Chairman, WarnerMedia News and Sports; President, CNN
CNN president Jeff Zucker stepped into a bigger role at WarnerMedia last year, when he took on oversight of the company's news and sports division.
He now oversees all of WarnerMedia's live programming, some of which will eventually come to HBO Max when the service introduces its ad-supported offering in the next year or so.
Zucker helped turn CNN into one of the US' most-watched news networks since joining in 2013.
He's now building out WarnerMedia's sports strategy across Turner, Bleacher Report, and other networks in his new role, while leading CNN through a heated US presidential election cycle and the current pandemic.
At Turner Sports, Zucker is also responsible for programming deals around major sports leagues like the NBA, which halted its regular season amid coronavirus concerns.
Zucker spent more than 20 years at NBC Universal before coming to CNN.
One of Zucker's top reports is:
- Allison Gollust, CMO & chief communications officer, WarnerMedia News and Sports, who leads marketing and messaging for the company's live programming. She held a similar role at CNN before taking on the expanded position alongside Zucker last year. Gollust was communications director for New York Governor Andrew Cuomo before joining CNN, and worked at NBCUniversal before that.
Lenny Daniels — President, Turner Sports
On the sports side, Zucker is working closely with Lenny Daniels, who has run the day to day at Turner Sports for the past six years, and oversaw operations at the unit for five years before that.
Daniels helped expand Turner's collection of sports rights under the leadership of former Turner Broadcasting boss, David Levy, who exited the company last year.
Daniels has also been key to the entertainment company's relationships with leagues and rights owners like the NBA, NCAA, and UEFA Champion's League. He'll likely play a role in helping Turner navigate the fallout of the widespread disruption of live sports.
Daniels was also involved in in acquiring Turner's digital sports brand, Bleacher Report, in 2012. The division is now led by Howard Mittman.
Daniels joined Turner Sports in 1999.
Jeremy Legg — Chief Technology Officer, WarnerMedia
Turner's former chief technology officer, Jeremy Legg, is now overseeing technology for WarnerMedia brands including Turner and HBO.
Legg has also been working with Forssell and Goncalves to get HBO Max ready for its May debut.
Legg said at CES in January that one of the team's goals for HBO Max was avoiding what he calls "endless scroll" by making it easier to discover shows and movies.
The company has been touting a blend of algorithms and human curation that it says will set it apart from other streaming platforms. Users will be able to follow talent like Zac Efron to get custom recommendations, and explore collections of shows like all the episodes of "Friends" that feature cameos.
Legg is also tasked with making sure the underlying technology is up to snuff so HBO Max doesn't face the same outages that Disney Plus did at launch.
Since his Turner days, Legg has also focused on partnering with digital distributors and technology partners.
Before joining Turner in 2006, Legg held roles at AOL, Oracle, and Accenture.
Pascal Desroches — CFO, WarnerMedia
Pascal Desroches is responsible for all of WarnerMedia's financial operations, across Warner Bros., Turner, and HBO.
Desroches joined Time Warner as senior vice president and controller in 2008, just before the company's big breakup with AOL. He was a major player on the entertainment-giant's deals team in that role.
Desroches became the financial chief at Turner in 2015 and at WarnerMedia in 2018.
He was previously a partner at the accounting firm, KPMG, and worked at the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
* This article was originally published here
https://www.businessinsider.com/atts-warnermedia-top-execs-leader-list-warner-bros-hbo-cnn-2020-5
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