Warner Bros. Discovery announces leadership of its communications team –

Warner Bros. Discovery unveiled its restructured communications team, led by Nathaniel Brown after he recently took over as director of corporate communications.

Brown, who is the studio’s chief spokesperson and oversees all global communications and media relations, announced that former Fox communications executive Megan Klein will be responsible for corporate communications.

and Laura Watson, who recently joined Warner Bros. from Discovery, Walt Disney Co., will oversee executive communications. Brown previously ran Discovery’s corporate communications before merging with WarnerMedia earlier this year.

As communications teams at Warner Bros. and Discovery merge, the studio also indicated that Gregory Ho, Lauren McCabe, Janine Richardson, Caroline Rittenberry, Jennifer Toner, Rob Wheeler, Laura Young and Emily Zalensky will leave after the transition.

Prior to joining Discovery in 2019, Brown was senior vice president of corporate affairs for 21st Century Fox and News Corp. In addition to creating a new corporate executive structure since the WarnerMedia and Discovery merger closed earlier this year, Warner Bros. Discovery began to cut costs. It includes the layoffs as part of a pledge to eliminate $3 billion from the balance sheet by 2023.

Copy of internal memo received the hollywood reporter As follows:

It’s been a very busy and productive few months since the launch of our new combined company. During this time, I have had the pleasure of meeting and speaking with many of you, and I am grateful for your openness, insight, and patience throughout this process. Both legacy companies have tremendous talent, and this is especially true in the communications function, which makes me even more excited about the team we are building together for the future. Unfortunately, she also made some pretty tough decisions as we simplified the organization and inevitably eliminated duplicate roles.

As you all know, effective communications are absolutely critical to an organization’s success, and here at Warner Bros. at Discovery, we take this responsibility and the opportunity it presents very seriously. Our goal is to build a strong, unified global corporate communications function that spans our businesses and regions, allowing us to act quickly and maintain consistent messaging while seeking to protect and advance our company’s interests.

With that in mind, I’m pleased to announce our global leadership team for corporate communications and media relations in key functional areas, all keynote speakers:

Megan Klein – Corporate Communication. Megan joined WBD earlier this summer and most recently led corporate communications for Fox Corporation. He brings exceptional experience and in-depth knowledge of the full range of corporate and industry issues. He manages West Coast Communications and assists me in all corporate communications functions, including media, finance/investor relations, government affairs, DE&I, CSR and legal, and will serve as the company’s spokesperson. Reporting to Megan is Jade Echtedt, vice president of corporate communications, formerly of WarnerMedia Studios and Networks Group.

Laura Watson – Executive Communication. Laura recently joined us from The Walt Disney Company, where she has built a stellar track record overseeing executive communications. You will directly support our CEO and other C-level executives and senior management, and will also be responsible for strategic planning and messaging, including the company’s investor relations, crisis management and media engagement functions. Laura reports to Steven Piorkowski, vice president of corporate communications.

Kim Page – Internal Communication. Kim will oversee all communications intended to inform and engage the company’s employee population around the world. He held the same position at WarnerMedia and previously held positions at AT&T and Turner. Erin Wrigley, vice president of communications and employee engagement, and Melissa Jacobson, vice president of digital platforms and communications, will continue to report to Kim. As previously announced, Tammy Shea, who oversaw Discovery’s legacy internal communications, joined the P&C organization, where she now leads employee engagement initiatives.

Blake Bryant: Global Brands, Franchising, Experiences, Home Entertainment and Licensing. Blake will continue to oversee communications for DC Entertainment, Warner Bros. Consumer Products, Themed Entertainment and Global Franchise Strategy Group, while assuming responsibility for home entertainment and licensing. Kathy Kochka, vice president of communications and Kerry Williams, executive. The director will continue to report to Blake and under the new dual structure, as will Stuart Herriot, vice president of advertising and home entertainment.

Nate Smeltz – US Sports Communications Nate will continue to oversee US Sports Communications, working closely with Lenny Daniels, President of Turner Sports, and Louis Silberwasser, President of Warner Bros. With the president and CEO of Discovery Sports, on the dotted line for me.

Monica Neal – Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Monica and her team will continue to manage DEI communications, strengthen internal and external programs and initiatives across the company, and support the next WBD Director of Global Diversity and Inclusion. Report to me and Megan jointly.

Ariel Falkowitz – Corporate Relations. Ariel will oversee corporate event planning on behalf of the CEO and other C-suite executives, including events at Hudson Yards and The Lott. He will also continue to support industry relations and hospitality programs across the company, as he did in his legacy Discovery role. Maria Gardner, formerly of the Studios and Networks Group, will join his team.

Cara Brunol – Communication from the Revenue. Cara and her mixed team, to be announced later, will oversee communications in support of the ad sales and distribution teams, the same responsibilities Cara inherited at Discovery. He will also oversee news and social media, along with Laura Watson.

The leaders of international-regional communication will be:

Fiona McLachlan – EMEA. Fiona will lead the EMEA communications team, supporting Priya Dogra, Andrew Georgiou and others. He most recently directed communications for Discovery Sport. We will name a new sports leader under Fiona’s leadership. I asked Espen Scholand, who led EMEA communications for legacy Discovery, to stay with our team and consider other senior communications roles in Europe. More to share in the coming weeks.

Selina Govan – Asia Pacific. Selina will oversee the communications team for the APAC region, supporting James Gibbons, Clement Schweig and others. Previously, he managed APAC communications for legacy Discovery.

LATAM – The Executive Search Group is actively seeking, internally and externally, to identify a communications leader for the LATAM region to support Fernando Medini et al. The current committee staff will report to this new leader.

As we consolidate and restructure communications functions across the company, we unfortunately also have to say goodbye to a number of talented individuals who have contributed to the success of the WBD and legacy businesses.

Gregory Ho, Lauren McCabe, Janine Richardson, Caroline Rittenberry, Jennifer Toner, Rob Wheeler, Laura Young and Emily Zalensky will depart after a period of transition. We are truly grateful for their leadership, accomplishments and commitment over the years, to their teams and to the organization. Each of them has had a significant and lasting impact and we wish them all the best and success in their future endeavors.

There are still many details to work out as we continue to build the right global communications team for the future and determine how best to support our senior executives and businesses around the world. I am excited and optimistic about the opportunities ahead and appreciate everyone’s continued patience and support during this process.

Stay tuned and keep up the great work.

the best
Nathanael