New Paramount Assembles Expanded Leadership Ahead Skydance Merger

Paramount is finalizing its leadership team ahead of the $8 billion merger closing with Skydance on August 7, 2025. David Ellison, Skydance founder, will serve as CEO, with former NBCUniversal chief Jeff Shell appointed as president. The new company will be organized into three segments: studios, direct-to-consumer, and TV media, with George Cheeks transitioning to chair of TV media overseeing Nickelodeon and CBS-branded assets. Cindy Holland, a former Netflix executive, will lead direct-to-consumer content, managing streaming services Paramount+ and Pluto TV. Other key hires include Andy Gordon as chief operating and strategic officer, Kevin MacLellan as president of international and global content distribution, and Josh Greenstein in a senior executive role. The new leadership team combines executives from Paramount, Skydance, NBCUniversal, and other major media firms with extensive industry experience, signaling a strategic push to build a next-generation media company.