Paramount TV Studios is reorganizing its leadership team amid the mass layoffs at Paramount following its merger with Skydance.
Matt Thunell, head of Paramount TV Studios, announced the news in a memo to staff Thursday, writing: “I know these are a lot of changes, but I am confident this new structure will strengthen collaboration, streamline decision-making, and super-charge our growth. In the coming weeks, we will continue the integration process, spending time on creative and business strategy under our new leadership team —more on that work soon. Finally, I want to take a moment to thank our colleagues who are transitioning out of their roles. They have each contributed enormously to our organization, and we are grateful for their leadership, partnership, and many achievements. Please join me in wishing them the very best.”
Since August, Thunell has been running a merged division comprised of Skydance Television and Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios — effectively making him the replacement for Paramount’s now-ousted Chris McCarthy. The new combined TV operations are called Paramount Television Studios, a revival of the original Paramount TV arm that shuttered in 2024.
See below for Thunell’s memo to staff announcing the leadership changes.
Team,
Over the last few months, we’ve brought together teams from Skydance, MTV Entertainment Studios, Showtime, Awesomeness, and Nickelodeon into one studio focused on making world-class television series. As we move forward in this new incarnation of Paramount Television Studios, we must make changes to position our business for growth and success. To do that, we’re evolving our organization to better serve creators, audiences, and partners around the world through a new, streamlined structure.
Our studio has an enviable roster of senior executive talent, and after spending time with everyone, I’ve made key leadership decisions to ensure we achieve our ambitious goals. But this means we must also say goodbye to colleagues we deeply admire and respect. In the spirit of transparency, I want to share the following updates on our new leadership structure:
Production
· Drew Brown, currently EVP, Physical Production for Skydance, will be the new PTVS Head of Production, reporting to me. Drew is a seasoned executive who has been instrumental in some of Skydance’s biggest shows including Reacher for Prime Video. Prior to Skydance, he led Production at AMC Studios, where he was a driving force on series including The Walking Dead.
· With this change, Keri Flint, EVP and Head of Global Production for MTVE/Showtime, will be stepping down. Keri has been with the company for more than two decades, and in that time, she has been an incredibly valued member of our team. Her credits and accomplishments are too numerous to count; we thank her for her lasting impact.
Creative
· Shelley Zimmerman and Carolyn Harris will continue in their roles as EVP, Head of Development and EVP, Head of Current, respectively, and will continue to report to me.
· Keith Cox, currently President of MTVE Studios & Showtime and a champion of Yellowstone since day one, will continue to oversee our expansive lineup of shows from the Taylorverse and will report to me.
Corporate Functions
· COO Courtney Armstrong, CFO Mark Badagliacca, EVP Human Resources Talia Robinson, and EVP Global Communications & Media Relations Brooke Robertson are expanding their respective purviews to encompass PTVS, in addition to their current roles at Paramount Pictures. A key strategic initiative for our studio is deeper partnership and collaboration with our Features colleagues. Placing these leaders across the entire studio is an important first step in achieving this goal.
· Dawn Lach, SVP, Global Communications & Publicity, will transition from Skydance TV to PTVS, reporting to Brooke.
Business Affairs & Legal Affairs
· Moving forward, Business Affairs and Legal Affairs will operate as two distinct groups. Our Head of Business Affairs will be Virginia Lazalde McPherson, who previously served as EVP, Business Affairs at Showtime, and was Global Head of Business Affairs at YouTube Originals prior to that. Bringing a wealth of experience and top-notch relationships, I’m excited to partner with Virginia in this new role.
· Lance McPherson will transition from his role as EVP, Deputy General Counsel and Head of Business & Legal Affairs to EVP, Legal Affairs. He will oversee all legal efforts for our studio going forward.
· Jeff Hegedus is stepping down from his role as EVP, TV Business & Legal Affairs for Skydance. Jeff is known as a selfless mentor and a steadfast colleague. I thank him for his leadership and dedication during long tenure at Skydance.
Finance
· Mel Rauch will be joining the team as Head of Finance. Previously, Mel was at Netflix, where she served as VP of EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) Content Finance & Strategy. I worked closely with Mel at Netflix for many years, where she was beloved as a creative problem solver and trusted business partner.
· Reporting into Mel will be Arturo Reyes, who will transition from his current role as EVP and Global Head of Production Finance at Skydance into his new role as Head of Production Finance for PTVS.
· Candice Brancazio, CFO, Paramount Media Networks, Showtime & MTVE, and Matt Hengemuhle, SVP, FP&A, will be exiting their respective roles, with Matt taking on a new remit in our Direct to Consumer business. We’re grateful for their leadership and contributions and we will be announcing a new FP&A lead for our studio soon.
Talent & Casting
· Trevor Rose will depart from his role as EVP, Head of Global Talent and Content Development for Showtime/MTVE and is moving to a leadership role in our TV Media group. With this, Tricia Wood will be expanding her role as EVP, Casting for Paramount Pictures to also oversee casting for PTVS. We believe this structure will encourage on-screen talent to work more seamlessly across our Features and Television Series.
Nickelodeon Live-Action and Awesomeness
· Shauna Phelan, EVP, Head of Live Action Series, Films & Talent, Nickelodeon and Awesomeness TV will be stepping down. Shauna has been a longtime leader of the Nickelodeon and Awesomeness teams and has been pivotal in shaping those brands. Thankfully, Shauna is not going far, as we are in discussions with her about working with us as a producer on some of our most important titles. Going forward, we remain committed to creating high-quality content for kids, teens and families — building on our incredible IP, championing new ideas, and operating as one unified team.
I know these are a lot of changes, but I am confident this new structure will strengthen collaboration, streamline decision-making, and super-charge our growth. In the coming weeks, we will continue the integration process, spending time on creative and business strategy under our new leadership team —more on that work soon.
Finally, I want to take a moment to thank our colleagues who are transitioning out of their roles. They have each contributed enormously to our organization, and we are grateful for their leadership, partnership, and many achievements. Please join me in wishing them the very best.
Thank you, as always, for your passion, resilience, and commitment. I cannot wait for all that we will accomplish together.
With gratitude,
Matt
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