Skydance Chief Communications Officer Melissa Zukerman Unveils Leadership Team, Executive Departures

Melissa Zukerman, Chief Communications Officer of Skydance, has become the latest member of the post-merger company’s CEO Corporate and Business Leadership teams to reveal the senior executives in the combined Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery communications operation she is overseeing. Zukerman announced the new structure in an internal memo, which you can read below.

The list includes Zukerman’s Deputy Chief Communications Officer at Paramount Laura Watson; Paramount’s former Head of Communications for Direct to Consumer Shannon Buck, who became available after Paramount and WBD’s streamers were put together under HBO/HBO Max’s Casey Bloys and JB Perrette; Head of Corporate Social Responsibility Deborah Marcus; as well as Virginia Fout, who is joining Skydance as head of events after running her own company in the space.

Departing the combined organization are Joe Libonati, who played a key communications role alongside Zukerman throughout the merger process, Arielle Falkowitz, Megan Klein, Adrienne O’Hara, Karen Shosfy, Heather Wagoner and Dennis Williams.

“[Skydance co-CEOs] David [Ellison] and Ynon [Kreiz] have set three priorities: establish Skydance as the premier Hollywood content engine and home for the world’s leading storytellers; accelerate our integrated direct-to-consumer platform with great content, leading-edge technology and a superior fan experience; and optimize our highly profitable linear television portfolio, anchored by CBS,” Zukerman said. “Our job in Communications is to help move that strategy forward – by telling the stories of our storytellers, creatives, technologists and business leaders: their triumphs, their progress and, yes, their challenges.”

Team,

Communications is an essential part of how this company operates every day. Our role is to protect and promote our business and our people – advancing our priorities, strengthening our reputation and ensuring that those who matter to our success understand who we are, what we stand for and where we are going. To do that well, we need to be deeply connected to the business, close to our leaders and teams, and always ready to engage.

And we have an extraordinary opportunity in front of us. Few companies have the breadth of businesses, brands, content and creative talent that we do – or the ability to reach so many people in so many ways. We have a chance to harness the full power of that ecosystem, bringing greater creativity and impact to our communications and using our platforms to build stronger, more direct and meaningful connections.

David and Ynon have set three priorities: establish Skydance as the premier Hollywood content engine and home for the world’s leading storytellers; accelerate our integrated direct-to-consumer platform with great content, leading-edge technology and a superior fan experience; and optimize our highly profitable linear television portfolio, anchored by CBS. Underpinning all three is an ambition to build the most technologically capable media company – delivering more and better experiences for consumers, empowering our teams and operating with greater effectiveness, all while keeping human creativity at the heart of great storytelling.

Our job in Communications is to help move that strategy forward – by telling the stories of our storytellers, creatives, technologists and business leaders: their triumphs, their progress and, yes, their challenges. We build understanding of where we’re going and confidence in our ability to get there, making sure our words are always backed by our actions. We show, not tell – letting our work and our results speak for themselves, communicating with transparency and grounding everything we say in facts. That’s how we earn credibility and trust.

And we need an organization ready to deliver on that mandate. At its center is a Corporate Communications function responsible for enterprise and executive communications, working hand-in-hand with teams embedded across our businesses. It’s a model that has been tested and proven at Paramount – keeping us close to the business, coordinated across the company and operating in a no-surprises environment.

But structure is only part of the equation. We also have an opportunity to rethink how we communicate – moving beyond traditional channels and finding new ways to reach people directly. That’s why we are launching a Direct to Market function focused on expanding executive storytelling across our owned-and-operated platforms and identifying new channels and formats. It will give us more ways to tell our own story, in our own voice, directly to the people we want to reach.

Of course, none of that lessens the importance of traditional communications and publicity – or of the press. Most of you know how strongly I believe in building and honoring relationships with journalists. Those relationships matter, and they are built on the same principles I expect us to bring to all our work: be direct, know your stuff and tell it like it is. Be accessible and responsive. And above all, earn trust by being credible, candid and grounded in the facts.

In a world of information overload, we know that communications extend far beyond what we say. It’s also about what we do and how we show up. That’s why I’m incredibly proud that our team also includes Corporate Social Responsibility, a group dedicated to extending our mission beyond our walls and using our platform to support the people, causes and communities where we can make a meaningful difference. By connecting our philanthropic partnerships with our content and broader storytelling, we have an opportunity not just to give back, but to strengthen the communities where we live and work.

Events are also a central part of our team and another powerful way we bring our story to life. Creating purposeful, memorable moments that celebrate our projects, champion our people and bring our communities together is an important part of how we build connection and showcase the incredible work happening across Skydance.

Delivering on all of this requires a team of thinkers and doers – people who can see what’s possible and then make it happen. Building that team for the future also requires difficult choices about how we organize, where we focus and how we work. I recognize that some of those choices mean saying goodbye to valued colleagues and changing ways of working that have been familiar for a long time. But our success depends on our willingness to evolve and build differently for what’s ahead. I’m incredibly proud of the team we are putting in place, starting with my immediate leadership team, who will help drive this work forward: Laura Watson, Shannon Buck, Virginia Fout and Deborah Marcus.

Laura Watson, EVP, Head of Corporate, Executive and Strategic Communications. Many of you know Laura as my deputy and a key partner across every part of our business. She oversees our strategic and internal communications, enterprise messaging and executive communications and speechwriting.

Shannon Buck, EVP, Corporate Communications and Media Relations. Shannon joins us from her most recent role leading communications for Paramount+. She will work closely with our businesses to identify, shape and elevate our most important stories – including across DTC, advertising, marketing and distribution – and help bring together the right platforms, talent and voices to tell them.

Virginia Fout, EVP, Global and Executive Events. Virginia leads our global events, hospitality and executive hosting, bringing our company and our story to life through the experiences we create. She will play an integral role in ensuring that our voice, priorities and brand are reflected consistently across our most important events and engagements.

Deborah Marcus, SVP, Head of CSR. Deb has transformed CSR from a traditional giving function into a powerful platform for storytelling, engagement and social impact. Most recently, she launched the ‘Ebenezer No Kid Hungry’ campaign and is now building our companywide Season of Giving, creating meaningful ways for our people and brands to make a difference in the communities we serve.

We are building this organization to operate as one team, with close partnerships across every part of the business. In that spirit, Chris Ender, Brooke Robertson and Jeff Cusson, Comms Leads for Skydance TV, Studios and DTC, respectively, dotted line into my leadership team, helping ensure we stay connected, coordinated and aligned in service of the company’s priorities. We also collaborate with other businesses, including Games & Experiences, Consumer Products, Government Relations, News and Sports, to ensure the same level of connection and support across the company.

I feel incredibly fortunate to have this A-list team in place – and we’re not done yet. As we build for what’s ahead, we will add dedicated leaders in Financial Communications and Product and Technology Communications, strengthening our capabilities in areas that will only become more important to our business – from AI tools for filmmakers and creatives to advertising sales and beyond.

I also want to extend a special thanks to the Comms colleagues who will be leaving the organization: Arielle Falkowitz, Megan Klein, Joe Libonati, Adrienne O’Hara, Karen Shosfy, Heather Wagoner and Dennis Williams. We are grateful for their partnership and many contributions. Please join me in thanking them and wishing them the very best.

We have an incredible opportunity ahead of us, and I’m excited about what we can accomplish together. Thank you for everything you bring to this team every day.