“Streaming & Studios” Company will be Warner Bros.; “Global Networks” Company will be Discovery Global
Warner Bros. Discovery (NASDAQ: WBD) today announced corporate names and senior leadership appointments for when the company separates in mid-2026. “Streaming & Studios,” which will be home to Warner Bros. Television, Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, DC Studios, HBO, HBO Max and Warner Bros. Gaming Studios, as well as their legendary film and television libraries, will be called Warner Bros., honoring the legacy of more than a century of industry-defining storytelling. “Global Networks,” which will include premier entertainment, sports and news television brands around the world including CNN, TNT Sports in the U.S., Discovery, and top free-to-air channels across Europe as well as digital products such as the Discovery+ streaming service and Bleacher Report (B/R), will be called Discovery Global, in recognition of the affinity and value this name has around the world in entertainment, news and sports. The properties of Discovery Global deliver content to 1.1 billion unique viewers in 68 local languages across 200 countries and territories.
The leadership team at Warner Bros. includes David Zaslav, currently President and CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, who will serve as President and CEO, as well as:
- Pam Abdy, Co-Chair and CEO Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group
- Priya Aiyar, Chief Legal Officer
- Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO, HBO and HBO Max
- Bruce Campbell, Chief Operating Officer
- Mike De Luca, Co-Chair & CEO, Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group
- Channing Dungey, Chairman & CEO, Warner Bros. TV Group
- Robert Gibbs, Chief Communications & Public Affairs Officer
- James Gunn, Co-Chairman and CEO, DC Studios
- Lori Locke, Chief Accounting Officer (reporting to the Chief Financial Officer)
- JB Perrette, CEO & President of Streaming and Games
- Peter Safran, Co-Chairman and CEO, DC Studios
- Avi Saxena, Chief Technology Officer (reporting to Perrette)
“We will proudly continue the more than century-long legacy of Warner Bros. through our commitment to bringing culture-defining stories, characters and entertainment to audiences around the world,” said Zaslav. “Over the past several years, we have made important strides across the business, launching and investing in a profitable, global streaming service and reinvigorating our studios to return them again to an industry leading position. With our unmatched portfolio of storytelling IP coupled with our incredible creative partners, and now an executive team of proven, bold, and committed creative and corporate leaders, we are in a strong position to launch and continue to meaningfully grow a company worthy of our storied past.”
The leadership team at Discovery Global includes Gunnar Wiedenfels, currently CFO of Warner Bros. Discovery, who will serve as President and CEO, as well as:
- David Duvall, Chief Technology Officer
- Amy Girdwood, Chief People & Culture Officer
- Ryan Gould, President, US Ad Sales GTM (reporting to Zeiler)
- Anil Jhingan, Chief Development Officer
- Kasia Kieli, President and MD, Poland and CEO, TVN
- Fernando Medin, President, International
- Scott Miller, President, Distribution (reporting to Zeiler)
- Fulvia Nicoli, Executive Vice President, Content Strategy & Insights (reporting to Zeiler)
- Brian Rauch, Chief Accounting Officer (reporting to Woodford)
- Luis Silberwasser, Chairman and CEO, TNT Sports
- Mark Thompson, Chairman and CEO, CNN Worldwide
- Sue Underwald, Chief Legal Officer
- Bobby Voltaggio, President, US Ad Sales Platform Monetization (reporting to Zeiler)
- Fraser Woodford, Chief Financial Officer
- Gerhard Zeiler, President, US, UK & Germany, Discovery+ and Chief Content Officer
Wiedenfels commented: “As we prepare for the launch of Discovery Global, our enthusiasm for the opportunities ahead only grows thanks to our leading portfolio of beloved brands and programming, our worldwide footprint for adults, kids, and families, and now the experienced and talented leadership team who will ensure strong operational execution to drive strategic investments and deliver compelling content to global audiences.”
Warner Bros. has begun searches for both the Chief Financial Officer and Chief People & Culture Officer roles, while Discovery Global is looking to hire a Chief Communications & Public Affairs Officer.
Biographies of Select Discovery Global Executives:
- Anil Jhingan (Chief Development Officer) – Mr. Jhingan is currently Chief Development Officer, International for WBD, leading strategic growth and expansion opportunities across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, the Pacific and Latin America. He joined Discovery in 2019 as EVP Corporate Development, EMEA & APAC, and has over 25 years of media, entertainment and sports experience.
- Kasia Kieli (President and MD, Poland and CEO, TVN) – Ms. Kieli currently serves as President & MD of Warner Bros. Discovery in Poland and CEO of TVN, which holds a leading position in the Polish media market, regularly reaching nearly 17 million viewers daily, and garnering a monthly audience of over 30 million. Earlier, she was Discovery’s President & Managing Director of EMEA, where she oversaw business development in 140 markets.
- Fernando Medin (President, International) – Mr. Medin currently serves as President and Managing Director of Warner Bros. Discovery Latin America and U.S. Hispanic, a division of WBD. He has spent 23 years in senior roles at the company. Earlier, Mr. Medin worked at the law firm Vinson & Elkins where he focused on mergers and acquisitions in the media space.
- Sue Underwald (Chief Legal Officer) – Ms. Underwald currently serves as WBD’s Executive Vice President of Legal for Streaming, Games, Technology, Privacy and Business Operations, where she leads a global legal team. Earlier, she was a Partner at Dow Lohnes, PLLC, in Washington, D.C., in the firm’s Media & Information Technologies Practice where she represented major entertainment and media companies in a wide range of corporate transactions.
- Fraser Woodford (Chief Financial Officer) – Mr. Woodford currently serves as WBD’s Executive Vice President of Treasury, Investments, and Real Estate, where he oversees the global treasury function including treasury operations, capital structure and financing, financial risk management, global liquidity, and free cash flow optimization. Previously, he spent a decade in Investment Banking.
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