Warner Bros Discovery‘s international kids content unit has reshaped, with several execs taking on expanded roles and APAC chief Christopher Ho exiting.
Kids content chief Vanessa Brookman outlined the changes in the past few minutes in a note to staff seen by Deadline. She was promoted to GM of Kids, Global Streaming and International Networks in December last year.
Pablo Zuccarino, Ana González, Sean Henry, Sean Gorman and Mark Taynton are all taking expanded leaderships roles, with Michelle Truong moving from Michael Ouweleen’s U.S. to become Manager, Original Animation and Ho, who is VP of Kids for APAC, exiting “as result of these changes,” according to Brookman.
Brookman thanked Ho and added: “Chris has been a passionate advocate and leader of the kids business across the region. He has been a huge champion for our kids content and brands throughout APAC, demonstrating audience expertise, creative excellence and consummate professionalism throughout his tenure.”
González, currently VP, Kids Content, Southern Europe, APAC, and Africa out of Madrid, is adding APAC to her editorial responsibilities.
Miami-based Zuccarino, who was SVP and GM of Kids and Family for Latin America & U.S. Hispanic, will widen his duties in Latin America to become Head of Kids and Animation, Lat Am, and Portfolio Strategy, International. This new role will see him focused on how to role out WBD content “in the most harmonious and impactful way across the globe, working with stakeholders across the wider WBD business,” according to Brookman. He will report to Fernando Medín, WBD President and MD for Latin America and U.S. Hispanic.
Henry has added an International element to his London-based role and has been named VP, International Content Partnerships and Content Strategy EMEA. Gorman takes on new pay-TV responsibilities for networks across EMEA in addition to his current duties overseeing kids channels in the UK, Nordics, Middle East, North Africa and Turkey. Also based in London, he is VP of Pay TV Networks, EMEA.
Taynton has been appointed Head of Adult Swim, EMEA and Adult Animation Content Management International, while Truong will be based in LA in her new role as original animated-focused role.
Monika Oomen, VP Brand, Communications and Digital Strategy, EMEA; Alison York, Head of Kids Data and Insights; and Sarah Fell, VP Original Animation EMEA for Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe, all based in London, complete the international senior kids TV team. Fell will continues to report into WBD President of Animation Sam Register.
“These changes confirm the roles and responsibilities for WBD’s International kids’ and animation leadership, establishing a new centre for strategy, decision-making and the greenlighting of content that will propel our kids’ business forward,” said Brookman.
In December, we revealed Brookman had been promoted in a shake-up that saw the separate departures of Meredith Gertler and Lisa Holme.
The London-based Brookman has been with WBD for more than eight years, joining from Viacom. She reports to President of International Gerhard Zeiler with a dotted line into CEO and President of Global Streaming and Games J.B. Perrette and oversees kids original content strategy and developing global kids content franchises, as well as greenlighting and acquiring kids content. Zuccarino and Ho both reported into her under the previous structure.
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