Fox’s Paul Cheesbrough Will Expand Duties After Roku Deal; Anjali Sud, Charlie Collier to Exit

Paul Cheesbrough, a one-time software engineer who has worked to transform upstart digital ventures at Fox Corp. into mainstream operations, is taking on an important new role at the company following its $22 billion purchase of Roku.

Cheesbrough was named co-chair and CEO of Fox Digital Platforms on Friday, a division that will house Roku operations, Tubi and Red Seat Ventures, among other operations. and turbocharge the company’s new-media ambitions. Roku operates one of the primary portals consumers use to access their favorite programming via streaming and broadband. Anthony Wood, the founder of Roku and previously its chairmand CEO, will become a member of the Fox board and serve as co-chair alongside Cheesbrough.

“Together we have premium live sports and news, a growing streaming portfolio, and a leading connected TV platform,” Cheesbrough and Wood said in a memo Friday. “More importantly, we have talented teams who know how to build, innovate, and deliver for viewers, partners, and advertisers. We have a lot to celebrate — and a lot to build.”

Under a new structure outlined Friday, the new unit of Fox Corp. will be built around Roku, to be led by CEO Mustafa Ozgen; direct-to-consumer properties like Tubi, Fox One and Frndly TV, led by CEO Pete Distad; and Red Seat Ventures and financial-technology company Credible, which will be led respectively by CEO Chris Balfe and CEO Robert Humann.

Several senior executives are leaving the combined company. Anjali Sud, CEO of Tubi, is “taking on a new role outside the company,” according to the memo, but will assist through a transition period. Charlie Collier, the president of Roku Media, who worked to develop the company’s original content and advertising operations, will exit, as . Chris Handman, Roku’s general counsel, and Robyn Peterson, executive vice president at AdRise, a technology platform for connected TV.

Others are taking on new roles. Mike Bidgoli is being promoted to president of Tubi, reporting to Distad. Andy Karofsky, co-founder and CEO of Frndly TV, a live streaming service, will also report to Distad. Lisa Holme, head of content for The Roku Channel, will report to Distad as well.

Melody Hildebrandt will continue as chief technology officer. Jeff Dow, executive vice president of platform and media technology, will retire at the end of the fiscal year. Ad sales will report to Jeff Collins, president of ad sales for Fox.

Cheesbrough, who got his start as a software engineer working for IBM, has shown a proclivity for digital media, having developed digital products for the BBC and Telegraph Media Group before joining News Corp., a sibling of Fox that is also run by its controlling holders, the Murdoch family. He previously served as the company’s chief technology officer and president of digital, and has presided over a methodical turn by the company, best known, perhaps for Fox News Channel and the Fox broadcast network, into direct-to-consumer operations and content pacts with independent hosts.

“We won’t have every answer on Day 1,” the executives said. “We’ll share decisions as they’re made, be clear about what’s still open, and keep moving. Our priorities remain the same: build great products, serve our viewers and partners, and support each other.”