David Leavy is departing his position as chief operating officer of CNN Worldwide and will return to parent Warner Bros. Discovery.
Mark Thompson, chairman and CEO of CNN, wrote that Leavy “has decided to return to a role at Warner Bros. Discovery in the weeks ahead.”
Leavy has served as COO for the past two years, having previously served as chief corporate affairs officer for WBD.
His move from WBD was announced in June, 2023, just before Chris Licht’s tenure leading CNN came to an end. In the interim, Leavy and Amy Entelis, Virginia Moseley and Eric Sherling led the network, before Thompson’s hire.
“David fell in love with CNN from the moment he walked in and has supported and championed our journalism and our great brand ever since,” Thompson wrote in a memo to staffers. “He’s always been a voice for change and confidence in the future.”
Thompson wrote that Leavy would “spend the next month or so ensuring a smooth transition.” Leavy wrote in a separate memo that his final day would be at the end of June.
He wrote, “When David Zaslav first called me about moving over to CNN, the initial plan was a six-month assignment, and that quickly turned into a multi-year drive to help the company pivot, transform and reposition itself for a new multiplatform future. I am so thankful for the opportunity, have learned a great deal, and hopefully made a small contribution by bringing some leadership, stability and collaboration to CNN during a challenging and disruptive period in its history.”
Thompson wrote that, with Leavy’s departure, the international commercial and revenue teams led by Phil Nelson, and the communications organization, led by Emily Kuhn, will now report to him. Sam Felix, senior VP of strategic partnerships and business development, also will report to Thompson. Variety first reported on Leavy’s move.
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