Skydance Names Finance Chiefs

Skydance Corp. carries approximately $80 billion in net debt following its merger with Warner Bros. Discovery. The new company generated nearly $70 billion in pro-forma annual revenue. Leadership must now manage this massive balance sheet while executing a financial restructuring plan.

Dennis Cinelli, the company's Chief Financial Officer, sent a memo to staff on Wednesday. He named the executive team responsible for finance operations. This group will oversee the strategy to achieve $6 billion in annualized cost savings. That process is expected to involve multiple rounds of layoffs across the organization.

The memo outlines a corporate finance structure led by Kevin Creighton. Creighton serves as Executive Vice President of Corporate Finance and Treasury. He will manage treasury, strategic finance, and financial planning. Creighton will also handle investor relations on an interim basis until a permanent leader is hired. Fraser Woodford, the previous Warner Bros. Discovery Treasury executive, will remain until March 2027 to assist in the transition.

Other corporate leaders include Todd Davis, who will direct global tax strategy. Kathy Gill-Charest will lead global controllership and accounting. Sandy Pundmann will head internal audit and risk. Simon Robinson will lead the Integration Management Office to coordinate the merger of the two companies. Bryon Rubin is moving from his role as CFO of TV Media to become Chief Operating Officer of Skydance Television.

The finance structure includes dedicated executives for specific business units. Mark Badagliacca will lead film finance. Patrick Cavanaugh will manage distribution and affiliates. Nitin Chawla will oversee global content sales and home entertainment. Adam Cohn will direct CNN finances. Eric Gray will lead television studios. Christine Hong will manage advertising and revenue operations.

Kedar Nadkarni will oversee consumer products, publishing, and DC Comics. Ben Paul will lead games and experiences. Josh Walker will manage the streaming business. Liz Wright will direct the global television networks segment. These business unit CFOs will report to both Cinelli and their respective division heads.

Cinelli described the team as reflecting the strengths of both former organizations. He stated that the goal is to become a next-generation media company. He emphasized that finance must operate at the highest level to support every business decision. He cited data and artificial intelligence as key tools for the new team. He also outlined six pillars for the finance group, including accurate reporting and deep partnership with business units.

The new finance team inherits a complex integration task. They must combine accounting systems and reporting standards. They will manage a diverse portfolio of content, streaming, and news assets. The leadership changes take effect immediately following the official close of the merger.