ViacomCBS has named four new senior executives, rounding out the management team for when the two companies make their merger official.
The new appointments include Viacom’s Alex Burkett becoming senior vice president of corporate development and strategy, and Nancy Phillips coming over from Nielsen to serve as chief people officer. Marva Smalls, who led global inclusion and strategy for Viacom, will serve in the same role for ViacomCBS.
“Our team of highly accomplished corporate leaders will draw on their deep experience and expertise to help drive ViacomCBS’ success,” said Bob Bakish, president and Chief Executive Officer, Viacom, who will serve as president and Chief Executive Officer of ViacomCBS upon close. “They will identify strategic opportunities to grow and transform our businesses and ensure that we are fostering a dynamic, inclusive culture where our employees are empowered to succeed.”
Viacom and CBS are expected to close their merger early next month.
Below is everyone’s new title and responsibilities:
- Alex Berkett, Senior Vice President, Corporate Development & Strategy, Viacom, will become Executive Vice President, Corporate Development and Strategy, leading ViacomCBS’ efforts to identify, pursue and execute strategic growth opportunities, including acquisitions, partnerships, investments and joint ventures, across all of ViacomCBS’ businesses and geographies.
- Nancy Phillips will serve as Executive Vice President, Chief People Officer. As the leader of ViacomCBS’ global human resources organization, she will be responsible for driving the company’s human resources strategy and delivering global programs to create a positive employee experience and a culture of high performance. In this role, she will have oversight of the company’s HR business partners, talent acquisition, organizational effectiveness, learning and development, total rewards, people analytics and HR operations. She will also oversee global security. Phillips joins the company from Nielsen, where she served as Chief Human Resources Officer.
- Marva Smalls, Executive Vice President, Global Head of Inclusion Strategy, Viacom, will serve as Executive Vice President, Global Head of Inclusion of ViacomCBS, driving initiatives and fostering partnerships that promote and advance diversity and inclusion for ViacomCBS enterprise-wide both with internal and external stakeholders globally. In addition, she will retain her public affairs responsibilities for Nickelodeon as Executive Vice President, Public Affairs, Kids & Family Entertainment Brands, ViacomCBS Media Networks.
- Jose Tolosa, Chief Transformation Officer of Viacom, will expand his responsibilities as Executive Vice President, Chief Transformation Officer. In this role, he will continue to oversee integration efforts for the combined company, with a focus on accelerating the evolution of its businesses. Tolosa will also lead ViacomCBS Strategic Planning, helping to set the company’s strategic priorities and support cross-company projects for senior management. Additionally, he will oversee the Global Business Services and Global Sourcing divisions, which will expand their scope, providing enterprise-wide services and helping drive synergies.