HBO Max int’l chief exits as Warner Bros. Discovery restructuring gathers pace

Johannes Larcher

HBO Max’s international chief and the streamer’s Latin America GM are among the latest flurry of execs to exit Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) amid the company’s ongoing restructuring.

Larcher, who previously launched Hulu, joined HBO Max from Middle Eastern streamer Shahid in 2020 and had been leading the SVOD’s expansion outside of the US. He appeared at MIPTV just last month.

Fellow Shahid alum Luis Duran, who joined HBO Max in 2021, is also departing, along with Sarah Lyons, who had been EVP of direct to consumer, global product for WarnerMedia.

Brad Wilson, EVP of growth & revenue, and technology EVP Jason Press, are also on their way out of the company, following news yesterday that UK chief Polly Cochrane and kids topper Tom Ascheim would also be leaving the freshly minted company.

JB Perrette

JB’s restructuring

The departures were revealed in a memo to staff – seen by TBI – from JB Perrette, who was installed as CEO & president of global streaming and interactive by WBD chief David Zaslav last month.

The new-look structure sees regional streaming chiefs appointed: Leah Hooper for EMEA; Jason Monteiro for APAC; Juan Sola for Lat Am; and Michael Bishara for North America.

The quartet will report into Perrette and are also part of the respective leadership teams of Priya Dogra and Kasia Kieli in EMEA, Clement Schwebig and James Gibbons in APAC, and Fernando Medin in Lat Am.

Those execs were confirmed in their roles in April, reporting into Gerhard Zeiler who was named president of international at the giant company earlier that month. The changes were part of a new leadership structure that employs “dedicated regional leads” to “increase focus on key markets.”

Hooper will remain as streaming lead and is tasked with “delivering the synergy targets for streaming”, Perrette added.

In his note to staff, Perrette added: “These are all extremely talented leaders, longstanding colleagues and friends to many of you, and their contributions to the success of HBO Max cannot be overstated.

“Taking HBO Max from one to 61 countries and positioning the service quickly as one of the most in demand among consumers is an incredible accomplishment. We are incredibly well-positioned thanks to their leadership, the talented teams they have developed, and all their incredible work.”

Christina Sulebakk

Nordics & India tweaks

Other changes see Arjun Nohwar in India moving to report to Monteiro, while Christina Sulebakk – who had overseen HBO Max in EMEA – will become GM for the Nordics under Dogra (although reporting to Gibbons on an interim basis until he moves to his APAC role later this year).

Meredith Gertler has been announced as leader of content strategy, scheduling & editorial/merchandising, supporting HBO Max content chief Casey Bloys and Perrette by working across all HBO and streaming products.

Discovery+ content & commercial strategy exec Lisa Holme reports into Gertler, while Alison Farber moves under Holme along with the WarnerMedia podcast team, including Hassan Chaudhry, Becky Rho and Michael Gluckstadt.