At long last, Warner Bros. Discovery has unveiled the names and leadership of its two separated companies. Moving forward Warner Bros. will be led by current President and CEO of WBD David Zaslav, and Discovery Global will be led by current CFO of WBD Gunnar Wiedenfels. The company is set to separate into two media companies in mid 2026.
Warner Bros. will focus on streaming and studios and will include Warner Bros. Television, Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, DC Studios, HBO, HBO Max and Warner Bros. Gaming Studios as well as the company’s film and television libraries. As previously mentioned, Zaslav will oversee that company and serve as its president and CEO.
He will be joined by several leaders in Warner Bros. Discovery, including:
- 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 and CEO, Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group
- Channing Dungey, chairman and CEO, Warner Bros. TV Group
- Robert Gibbs, Chief Communications and Public Affairs Officer
- James Gunn, co-chairman and CEO, DC Studios
- Lori Locke, Chief Accounting Officer
- JB Perrette, CEO and president of Streaming and Games
- Peter Safran, co-chairman and CEO, DC Studios
- Avi Saxena, Chief Technology Officer
Locke will report to the currently unnamed Chief Financial Officer, and Saxena will report 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,” Zaslav said in a statement to press. “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.”
As for Discovery Global, that will include the company’s cable, news and sports-focused offerings such as CNN, TNT Sports in the U.S., Discovery, free-to-air channels across Europe and digital products like the Discovery+ streaming service and Bleacher Report. The properties that comprise Discovery Global deliver content to 1.1 billion viewers in 68 local languages across 200 countries and territories.
Wiedenfels will serve as this company’s president and CEO and will be joined by several major WBD names, including:
- David Duvall, Chief Technology Officer
- Amy Girdwood, Chief People and Culture Officer
- Ryan Gould, president, U.S. Ad Sales GTM
- Anil Jhingan, Chief Development Officer
- Kasia Kieli, president and MD, Poland and CEO, TVN
- Fernando Medin, president, International
- Scott Miller, president, Distribution
- Fulvia Nicoli, Executive Vice President, Content Strategy and Insights
- Brian Rauch, Chief Accounting Officer
- Luis Silberwasser, chairman and CEO, TNT Sports
- Mark Thompson, chairman and CEO, CNN Worldwide
- Sue Underwald, Chief Legal Officer
- Bobby Voltaggio, president, U.S. Ad Sales Platform Monetization
- Fraser Woodford, Chief Financial Officer
- Gerhard Zeiler, president, U.S., U.K. and Germany, Discovery+ and Chief Content Officer
Gould, Miller, Nicoli and Voltaggio will all report to Zeiler. As for Rauch, he will report to Woodford.
“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,” Wiedenfels said.
Warner Bros. has begun its search for Chief Financial Officer and Chief People and Culture Officer. Meanwhile, Discovery Global is searching for a Chief Communications and Public Affairs Officer.
In June, Warner Bros. Discovery announced its plan to divide the company into two. This decision came several years after WarnerMedia merged with Discovery, Inc. in 2022. Both Warner Bros. and Discovery Global will be publicly traded companies.
