Skydance has completed the restructuring of its international operations following the $110 billion merger, with Co-Chair and Chief Business Officer JB Perrette unveiling a new leadership framework. As part of this transition, Andrew Georgiou is exiting the company after serving as the interim President of Europe and Africa. Georgiou, who previously led Warner Bros. Discovery's UK and Ireland operations and managed its European sports business before joining Skydance in 2023 to help launch TNT Sports, will take on a new role outside the firm next year. Perrette noted in an internal memo that Georgiou has offered to assist with the transition while a permanent replacement is sought.
The newly defined international structure relies on four regional leaders who will oversee both television and streaming businesses within their territories. Alongside the vacancy left by Georgiou, the leadership team includes James Gibbons as President and Managing Director for APAC and MENA; Kasia Kieli as President and Managing Director for Poland; and Fernando Medin as President and Managing Director for Latin America and the US Hispanic market. These three executives have retained their roles. Under the Europe and Africa division, several key appointments were made to support the transition: Alessandro Araimo will serve as Managing Director for Southern Europe, expanding his scope to include Turkey and Africa; Qaisar Rafique will act as Executive Vice President of Commercial Development for distribution and business development across Europe; Reemah Sakaan will lead the UK and Ireland entertainment business while continuing her role at Channel 5; and Christina Sulebakk will manage the Nordics, Benelux, and GSA regions.
The restructuring also involves significant departures from the former Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery rosters. Executives leaving the company include Dan Barnes, Michael Bishara, Jamie Cooke, Domenic DiMeglio, Marco Nobili, Pank Patel, and Juan Sola. Additionally, Gerhard Zeiler, the former WBD international chief, and Kevin MacLellan, Paramount's ex-international lead, have both exited. Perrette acknowledged their contributions in his note to staff, expressing gratitude for their tenures.
On the global functional side, Jeff Cusson has been named EVP and Head of Communications for Skydance DTC, while Shauna Spenley expands her role as CMO to oversee marketing for both Global DTC and International TV. Trey Turner assumes the position of COO for International, integrating strategy teams previously led by Pank Patel. Josh Walker takes on a dual role as COO and CFO for DTC, and Liz Wright is appointed CFO for the Skydance TV segment. The company is currently conducting a search for a dedicated Head of Pluto/AVOD, with Olivier Jollet, Will Gurman, and Kevin Kroll reporting to this new position on an interim basis.
Perrette emphasized that the new structure aims to bridge direct-to-consumer and television divisions, leveraging local expertise alongside global scale. He stated that the goal is to create a powerful network rather than a complex matrix, focusing on collaboration to drive revenue growth and engage billions of consumers worldwide. The leadership team will now begin aligning sub-teams to this new framework, with further clarifications expected in the coming weeks.
Sources: Deadline.