Skydance Adds Laurene Powell Jobs and Bobby Kotick to Board
Skydance has appointed Laurene Powell Jobs and former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick as independent directors, with former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair joining as a board adviser.
Skydance has named Laurene Powell Jobs and former Activision Blizzard chief executive Bobby Kotick to its board of directors, the company disclosed in a securities filing. Both will serve as independent directors. Former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair will join the company as a board adviser.
The appointments give chairman and CEO David Ellison a board stocked with figures from technology, finance, media, and government as he integrates Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery into a single entertainment company. The board was formed Tuesday in connection with Paramount's acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.
Ellison said in a statement that Powell Jobs is «a true visionary and one of the great institution builders of our time,» praising her commitment to high-quality journalism and media investments. He credited her work through Emerson Collective, the organization she founded and leads, with pioneering a model that combines venture investing and philanthropy.
Of Kotick, Ellison said the former Activision leader «led a global entertainment company through three decades of sustained growth» and brings perspective on building enduring franchises and connecting with fans. Ellison described Kotick's record of pairing strategic moves with disciplined capital allocation as the experience Skydance needs as it brings its businesses together.
Blair, Ellison said, has led at the highest levels of government and is respected for his intellect, strategic vision, and ability to bring people together around forward-looking ideas. Ellison called the former prime minister's global perspective invaluable as the company turns ambition into results.
The board will be chaired by Ellison, who also serves as chief executive. Its members include Barbara Byrne, former vice chairman of Barclays PLC, and Andy Campion, chairman and CEO of Unrivaled Sports, both independent directors. Gerry Cardinale, founder, managing partner, and chief investment officer of RedBird Capital Partners, also sits on the board, along with Safra A. Catz, executive vice chair and former CEO of Oracle Corporation.
Other directors include Andy Gordon, president of Skydance; Justin G. Hamill, managing director and chief legal officer of Silver Lake, an independent director; and Ynon Kreiz, co-chief executive officer of Skydance. Sherry Lansing, former chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures, serves as an independent director, as do Powell Jobs and Kotick. Paul Marinelli, president of Lawrence Investments, LLC, and John L. Thornton, chairman of RedBird Capital Partners, round out the board.
Ellison said the directors bring the experience and fresh perspectives needed to build Skydance into an extraordinary company, one that honors the legacies of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery while setting a course for the future. He said the board is united by a commitment to creative excellence, innovation, and long-term shareholder value, and will help empower teams, strengthen businesses, and deliver entertainment to audiences worldwide.
The appointments take effect immediately, according to the company. The board's mix of independent directors and executives reflects the structure of the newly formed company, which combines two of Hollywood's most storied studios under Ellison's leadership.
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