Photo: Ynon Kreiz, Laurene Powell Jobs and Bobby Kotick
Fresh off completing its transformative acquisition uniting Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery, Skydance Corporation announced a high-profile lineup of new board members and advisors designed to steer the newly formed media behemoth.
Under the continued leadership of Chairman and CEO David Ellison, the board will incorporate existing Paramount directors alongside heavyweights from venture capital, gaming, and global politics.
High-Profile Additions to Board Leadership
Joining as Independent Directors are Emerson Collective founder and president Laurene Powell Jobs and longtime former Activision CEO Bobby Kotick. They are joined on the board by Skydance Co-CEO Ynon Kreiz, while former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair will serve as a strategic Board Advisor.
The appointments reflect Skydance’s ambitions to position itself at the intersection of traditional entertainment, emerging digital platforms, and global technology.
“Together with our other directors, they bring the experience and fresh perspectives we need to build Skydance into an extraordinary company,” said David Ellison in a statement. “United by a commitment to creative excellence, innovation and long-term shareholder value, this Board will help us empower our teams, strengthen our businesses and deliver exceptional entertainment to audiences around the world.”
Deep Expertise Across Media, Gaming, and Policy
The new appointees bring distinct backgrounds to the governance of the media giant:
- Laurene Powell Jobs: Known for her extensive venture investing and philanthropic work through Emerson Collective, Powell Jobs has been a prominent investor in quality journalism and media storytelling.
- Bobby Kotick: Having led Activision for over three decades, Kotick brings deep gaming expertise and public-company scale, highlighted by his negotiation of Activision Blizzard’s $68.7 billion sale to Microsoft.
- Ynon Kreiz: Serving as Co-Chief Executive Officer alongside Ellison, Kreiz contributes direct operational leadership to the board.
- Tony Blair: Acting in a personal capacity, the former Prime Minister and current Executive Chairman of the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change will offer strategic council on global strategy, governance, and AI innovation.
Complete Skydance Board Roster
The newly constituted Skydance Corporation Board of Directors includes:
- David Ellison — Chairman and CEO, Skydance
- Barbara Byrne — Former Vice Chairman, Barclays PLC (Independent)
- Andy Campion — Chairman and CEO, Unrivaled Sports (Independent)
- Gerry Cardinale — Founder, Managing Partner, & CIO, RedBird Capital Partners
- Safra A. Catz — Executive Vice Chair & Former CEO, Oracle Corporation
- Andy Gordon — President, Skydance
- Justin G. Hamill — Managing Director & Chief Legal Officer, Silver Lake (Independent)
- Laurene Powell Jobs — Founder & President, Emerson Collective (Independent)
- Bobby Kotick — Founder & Former CEO, Activision (Independent)
- Ynon Kreiz — Co-CEO, Skydance
- Sherry Lansing — Former Chairman & CEO, Paramount Pictures (Independent)
- Paul Marinelli — President, Lawrence Investments, LLC
- John L. Thornton — Chairman, RedBird Capital Partners
With an unprecedented media portfolio spanning legendary brands such as HBO, Paramount+, CBS, CNN, Warner Bros., Pluto TV, and Nickelodeon, Skydance’s new governance structure aims to capitalize on its expanded global footprint across direct-to-consumer streaming, linear TV, and feature studios.
