Schlesinger to exit Warner Bros

The president of Warner Bros Worldwide Television Distribution is among the latest top-ranking executives to exit WarnerMedia as part of its massive round of layoffs.

Jeffrey Schlesinger

Jeffrey R Schlesinger joins entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt and Kevin Reilly, chief content officer at HBO Max and president of TNT, TBS and TruTV, in leaving the firm as part of its major restructure, led by CEO Jason Kilar.

US reports suggest that between 600 and 800 staff could be let go at the media giant, with most of the job losses coming at Warner Bros.

Ron Sanders, president of Warner Bros Worldwide Theatrical Distribution and Home Entertainment and executive VP of international business operations; and Kim Williams, executive VP and chief financial officer at Warner Bros Entertainment, are also leaving the company.

Veteran industry exec Schlesinger has held the top role at Warner Bros Worldwide Television Distribution since May 2013 and has been with the company, and companies owned by Warner Bros, for over three decades.

WarnerMedia last year merged the international distribution divisions of HBO, Turner and Warner Bros, with Schlesinger overseeing all three. This included responsibility for global distribution of Warner Bros, HBO and Turner content to all television platforms worldwide.

Schlesinger said: “It’s been a great 37-year run, with 26 as president of international television distribution, spanning six mergers, millions of miles travelled, thousands of programmes sold and billions of dollars generated. In the end, it took a global pandemic and a complete reorganisation of the company for me to trip over the last hurdle.

“I hope to always be remembered as the only studio executive to ride into an international screenings party at the studio on the back of an elephant in the good old days.”