Warner Bros Discovery shakes up international kids and animation team
Christopher Ho, VP of kids in Asia Pacific, is leaving Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) as part of a shake-up at its international kids division led by Vanessa Brookman, general manager of kids, global streaming and international networks.
Christopher Ho
Brookman, who was promoted to her current role late last year, said the changes establish “a new centre for strategy, decision-making and the greenlighting of content.”
The remits of numerous key international WBD execs have been expanded, including Miami-based Pablo Zuccarino, Madrid-based Ana González and London-based Sean Henry.
Zuccarino has added international editorial strategy to his existing responsibilities in Lat Am to become head of kids and animation for Lat Am and portfolio strategy, international.
In the newly created role, Zuccarino, will report to Fernando Medin, president and managing director at WBD Latin America and US Hispanic.
González expands her role across linear, streaming and VoD, adding Asia Pacific to her existing editorial responsibilities overseeing its free-to-air and pay networks business in Italy, Spain, France, and Africa as VP, kids content, southern Europe, APAC and Africa.
As a result of the changes, Ho will exit WBD, having joined the company when it was WarnerMedia in 2021 from The Walt Disney Company, where he had spent the previous 14 years.
Since joining, Ho has spearheaded the launch of the Singapore-produced Tom & Jerry series as well as overseeing the rollout of Cartoonito in the region.
Henry, meanwhile, adds an international remit to his current EMEA responsibilities for third-party content relationships and acquisitions as VP, international content partnerships and content strategy EMEA.
Elsewhere, Sean Gorman adds responsibility for consolidated pay TV networks across EMEA in addition to current duties overseeing kids’ channels in the UK, Nordics, Middle East, North Africa, and Turkey, as VP of pay TV networks, EMEA, based in London.
Mark Taynton has his international responsibilities formally recognised as head of Adult Swim, EMEA and adult animation content management international, based in London.
Michelle Truong joins the international kids team as manager, original animation, moving over from Cartoon Network president Michael Ouweleen’s team in the US and will be based in LA.
Monika Oomen, VP brand, communications and digital strategy EMEA; Alison York, head of kids data and insights; and Sarah Fell, VP original animation EMEA, Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe, who are all based in London, complete the international senior kids’ team. Fell continues to report to Sam Register, president of Warner Bros Animation.
Brookman said: “To effectively compete in the highly competitive global marketplace, it is paramount that we operate our kids’ and animation business in an internationally aligned and integrated fashion. This approach ensures that we create and market our content and experiences in the most impactful and globally scalable manner possible.
“Combining our expertise and capabilities into a ‘One WBD’ kids international organisation also allows us to run our network business with optimal efficiency, putting us on a sustainable path to deliver against our growth objectives and cement our success in the long-term.”
It marks the latest change at WBD’s kids division after Adina Pitt, VP and lead for content acquisitions, partnerships and coproductions for the Americas at WBD’s kids and family division, was let go by the company, as revealed by C21 last month.
