Ahead of WarnerMedia’s impending merger with Discovery, several executives are leaving the company and its subsidiaries.
Andy Forssell, HBO Max evp and general manager, is joining Jason Kilar, WarnerMedia CEO, and Ann Sarnoff, chair and CEO of WarnerMedia Studios and Networks Group, in exiting WarnerMedia.
Update: Wednesday afternoon, WarnerMedia said several other top execs would be departing, including Tony Gonclaves, evp and chief revenue officer, whose oversight included U.S. ad sales, networks and HBO Max distribution. He previously oversaw the development of HBO Max.
Discovery CEO David Zaslav will serve as CEO and chairman of the new company, titled Warner Bros. Discovery, and JB Perrette, president and CEO of Discovery Streaming and International, has been speculated to take over Warner Bros. Discovery’s combined streaming operation. The $43 billion merger was expected to close sometime in mid-2022, but it could happen as soon as Monday.
Forssell oversaw HBO Max’s product, marketing, customer interaction and operations, including HBO Max’s ad-supported subscription service and the platform’s international rollout.
He formerly worked as the chief operating officer of Otter Media, a WarnerMedia company. He came to Otter from Fullscreen, a subsidiary of Otter, where he served as president and COO for several years, directing day-to-day operations as well as leading technology and product development. He also played a key part in the sale of Fullscreen to Otter/AT&T, overseeing the income and audience growth that helped to justify the transaction.
Prior to joining WarnerMedia and its subsidiaries, Forssell was the CEO of Showyou, a video aggregation firm that was sold to Vevo in 2015. Under his leadership, the company allowed video producers and content owners all around the world connect with followers and establish actual businesses.
Forssell was also on the ground floor when Hulu launched in 2007, leading the company’s push into original content and helping it expand from 10 people to over 700 and to over a billion dollars in revenue.