Skydance Appoints Finance Chiefs

Dennis Cinelli, the chief financial officer of Skydance Corp., disclosed the names of the executives who will lead the company's finance operations in a memo sent to staff on Wednesday morning. The announcement follows the official close of the merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery, a transaction that created a massive new media entity.

The combined business projects annual revenue of nearly $70 billion on a pro-forma basis. It carries net debt of approximately $80 billion. The finance team will manage these figures while executing a plan to achieve $6 billion in annualized cost savings. That effort will include multiple rounds of layoffs, according to the company's financial outlook.

David Ellison and Ynon Kreiz, the co-CEOs of Skydance, announced the senior leadership team one day before the deal closed. Since that initial reveal, various business units and corporate groups have released their own executive rosters. Cinelli's memo marks the next step in that process, detailing the specific individuals who will control the flow of money across the organization.

Kevin Creighton, currently the EVP of Corporate Finance and Treasury, will head an expanded organization. His scope includes corporate finance, treasury, strategic finance, financial planning and analysis, and content finance and strategy. He will also oversee investor relations on an interim basis while the company searches for a permanent head of that function.

Fraser Woodford, the EVP of Treasury at Warner Bros. Discovery, will remain in his role through the end of March 2027. He will help transition work and identify his successor. Todd Davis will lead global tax, Kathy Gill-Charest will serve as controller and chief accounting officer, and Sandy Pundmann will be chief audit risk officer. Simon Robinson will head an Integration Management Office as chief business transformation officer, coordinating the merging of the two businesses.

Business unit CFOs will report to both Cinelli and their respective unit heads. Mark Badagliacca will lead film, Patrick Cavanaugh will lead distribution, and Nitin Chawla will lead global content sales. Adam Cohn will head CNN, Eric Gray will lead TV studios, and Christine Hong will lead advertising and revenue operations. Kedar Nadkarni will oversee consumer products, publishing, and DC comics, while Ben Paul will lead games and experiences.

Josh Walker will manage streaming, and Liz Wright will lead the television segment. Bryon Rubin is leaving his position as CFO of TV Media to become the COO of Skydance Television. These appointments place specific individuals in charge of the revenue streams that will determine the company's financial trajectory.

Cinelli thanked employees for their support during the acquisition process. He praised the legacy Warner Bros. Discovery finance team, noting that they kept the business performing through a period of uncertainty. He stated that the new structure reflects the strengths of both organizations and places the right leaders in the right positions.

The CFO outlined six pillars to guide the finance organization: getting basics right, setting plans that drive accountability, partnering with business leaders, deciding with data and AI, telling the financial story to stakeholders, and building a talent factory. He expressed confidence in the team's ability to navigate integration challenges while raising the standard of financial operations.