Warner Bros. Discovery restructures ad sales division under new ad chiefs

Warner Bros. Discovery is restructuring its ad sales division under its recently named ad chiefs, Ryan Gould and Robert Voltaggio. The reorganization will focus on cross-platform sales and digital innovation while keeping the agency-focused market strategy from the company’s 2023 ad sales leadership changes. Marybeth Strobel, Rob McCall, Jon Diament and Sheereen Russell report to Gould, who leads go-to-market. Strobel will lead New York-based agency sales, while McCall will oversee national sales, including agency relations in Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles and Atlanta. Diament will continue leading sales for WBD’s sports portfolio, including the NCAA March Madness tournament. Russell will add partnerships with entertainment and creative agencies to her remit, which also includes multicultural strategy and direct client partnerships. Allie Carr, Evan Giamanco, David Porter and Jill Steinhauser will report to Voltaggio, who oversees platform monetization. Carr will lead linear and digital revenue strategy, including managing convergent sales support and yield management teams. Four to five executive leaders will be laid off as part of the reorganization, according to a company spokesperson. “The pace of change in the ad market continues to accelerate, and we need to fundamentally change how we service our clients and agency partners,” Gould and Voltaggio, the co-presidents of U.S. ad sales, said in the memo. Giamanco and Steinhauser will partner on the rollout of WBD’s cross-platform audience planning product Olli. Giamanco will also oversee the company’s converged portfolio, including recently launched ad products Shop with Max and Moments. Steinhauser will lead commercial operations, systems, ad tech and partnerships. David Porter will lead data and research, heading market strategy around measurement and currency to support WBD’s sales force. The company is also seeking executives to lead ad sales for CNN, developing new digital products and platforms alongside the network’s leadership, as well as a growth and performance lead, who will oversee the advanced advertising, direct response and programmatic sales leaders. As part of the restructuring, Greg Regis, executive VP of ad sales and partnerships, will depart the company. Regis had been with various iterations of the company since 2002, starting at Scripps, and most recently oversaw relations for a portion of holding company agencies per the company’s 2023 ad sales restructure. Data-Driven Marketing Playbook Join us May 22 in NYC to explore how data powers marketing Learn more here

Warner Bros. Discovery restructures ad sales division under new ad chiefs

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