Paramount is reorganizing its home entertainment and licensing divisions and placing them under one roof as part of a mjaor studio restructuring that extends to its global theatrical operation.
Paramount has created a new division called Home Media Distribution, which will oversee its home entertainment, digital licensing and television licensing activities worldwide.
As things shift away from physical discs to become more digital, more and more media companies are breaking down divisions that had previously operated independently and regrouping them.
Also read: Paramount's Brad Grey: 'We Will Be Selective in Deploying 3D'
Paramount's parent company Viacom has worked aggressively to reformat its corporate structure in the wake of these distribution changes. Just weeks ago, Viacom reorganized its licensing and merchandising division, with longtime consumer product chief Leigh Anne Brodsky exiting the company.
Dennis Maguire (pictured left), formerly president, worldwide home entertainment, has been promoted to president, worldwide home media distribution, reporting to Vice Chairman Rob Moore.
Thomas Lesinski, president of Paramount Digital Entertainment, is out, with that division now folded into the Home Media division.
Also exiting as part of the shakeup is Jim Tharp, Paramount's president of Domestic Theatrical Distribution.
Tharp will retire and Don Harris, who has served as executive vice president of Sales, is being promoted to take over.
"Our hope is that this new configuration will allow us to be more flexible and to best capitalize on all opportunities across the breadth of the studio," Paramount Chairman Brad Grey wrote in an internal memo announcing the changes.
Also read: Leigh Anne Brodsky Out as Nickelodeon/Viacom Licensing Chief
In addition, Paramount will centralize global theatrical management oversight in Los Angeles. Marketing and sales functions currently performed locally in territories worldwide will remain unchanged, the studio said.
Josh Greenstein and Megan Colligan will be promoted. Greenstein, who has served as co-president of Domestic Marketing, has been named chief marketing officer for the studio, overseeing all marketing efforts through all distribution channels for the studio worldwide.
Colligan, who also served as co-president of Domestic Marketing, is also expanding her role and has been promoted to President, Domestic Marketing & Distribution. She will now oversee all domestic theatrical distribution and marketing for the studio.
Greenstein and Colligan will continue to report to Moore. Colligan will also report to Greenstein on marketing. Hal Richardson, currently president, Worldwide Television Distribution, will take on the role of president, Home Media Distribution, reporting to Maguire.
Amy Powell, Executive Vice President, Interactive Entertainment, will add the creation of content for digital and online games to her current responsibilities.
LeeAnne Stables, executive vice president, Worldwide Marketing Partnerships, will assume responsibility for licensing of traditional video games. Both Powell and Stables will continue to report to Colligan.
Here's the internal memo:
Memo from Brad Grey
I am writing to let you know about a number of organizational changes and promotions that we are making at the studio.
