Univision restructures by hiring Telemundo alum Silberwasser & ViacomCBS’s Gazzolo

Pierluigi Gazzolo

US Hispanic broadcaster Univision has restructured its senior team with the hire of former ViacomCBS exec Pierluigi Gazzolo and ex-Telemundo president Luis Silberwasser.

Gazzolo was most recently president of streaming & studios at ViacomCBS Networks International (VCNI), which he left last year following a major restructuring at the company.

He takes the new role of president & chief transformation officer at Univision Communications, while Silberwasser – who left NBCUniversal-owned Telemundo in 2018 – becomes president of Univision Television Networks Group.

The restructure, which comes after private equity firm Searchlight Capital Partners and investment outfit ForgeLight acquired a majority stake in Univision last year, will also see long-standing Univision exec Jessica Rodriguez become president of entertainment and SVP of content distribution Friday Abernethy upped to EVP.

Adam Shippee, previously SVP of corporate business development, takes the new role of EVP of corporate development, strategy & transformation.

Distribution president Henry Ahn is departing, along with advertising sales & marketing chief Steve Mandala, with Donna Speciale becoming president of ad sales & marketing.

Luis Silberwasser

Univision has faced a turbulent few years as Telemundo, Silberwasser’s former company, surged in popularity. Univision sold its minority stake in filmmaker Robert Rodriguez’s El Rey Network last year and has refocused on its Spanish-language programming, offloading website acquisitions such as The Onion and Gawker in recent years.

Univision CEO Wade Davis, who was formally appointed late last year, said the appointments marked “a transformation” for the company that would include the of “launch new products and services”.

“Each of these leaders understand the need to optimise Univision’s core businesses to meet its audience where they are and evolve its content, platforms and products to reach the market in new ways.”