As major global studio businesses continue to struggle, Warner Bros Discovery has announced a change of leadership in Australia and New Zealand.
Departing the company is Glen Kyne, who had a wide regional remit as Senior Vice President & Head of Networks, Warner Bros Discovery Australia, New Zealand, Japan.
Taking over at least some of those roles is Juliet Peterson. The region leadership will continue to be based in Auckland.
Currently Senior Director of Content and BVOD, Peterson will now lead the business as Vice President, Head of Networks, ANZ, reporting to James Gibbons, President, Asia Pacific, WBD.
Sydney-based Michael Brooks will continue in his dual role as MD of Warner Bros. International Television Production Australia, reporting to Ronald Goes, and Head of Studios, ANZ, reporting to Gibbons.
The company was in the news recently after the decision to close its New Zealand Newshub operations. Cutting the news service at TV3 impacted around 200 staff.
Just two weeks ago, Kyne took part in a press conference with Stuff owner and publisher Sinead Boucher about a news program the New Zealand publisher would be making for TV3.
WBD farewells Glen Kyne
James Gibbons commented: “Glen has done an incredible job of navigating industry disruption. He has been a popular and calming leader; his leadership of the organisation through its recent restructure put empathy and kindness at the forefront, two attributes that everyone who has worked with Glen knows he has in spades.
“Glen has been a pivotal member of the APAC leadership team, bringing an excellent mix of industry expertise, operational leadership, and commercial acumen to the business. Personally, I’ve valued Glen’s counsel and resilience. He has been an excellent partner and I want to take this moment to sincerely thank him for his contribution.”
On Peterson’s appointment, Gibbons added: “Juliet is exactly the right person to lead this business into the future. In the three years that Juliet has been with us, she has already demonstrated an amazing ability to build and lead strong teams. Prior to working at WBD, Juliet’s work at TVNZ across multiple business streams saw her grow and develop high-performing channels and platforms across both digital and broadcast. I’m confident that Juliet’s strategic vision and leadership can help drive the business forward.”
Kyne’s farewell words
Kyne said he is very proud of the work he has done at WBD but felt that the time was right for him to step down and allow someone else to lead the newly remodelled business.
“It is a genuine privilege to lead a media business, and to be part of a global company with the world’s most recognisable content brands.
“It has been 10 years now working at Flower St under different ownership structures but my love for our business, our people, and our industry has never been stronger. Being a part of Discovery and subsequently Warner Bros Discovery, I was lucky enough to build a true global lens across our ANZ operations, and I’ve been honoured to have had many wonderful experiences here that I will never forget.
Glen Kyne
“It goes without saying that it’s been a particularly challenging year for our teams, but the grace and professionalism with which they’ve carried themselves is a true indication of the people and culture here. I want to thank all of our people, and especially the leadership team for their trust, patience and support of me to lead through these years. It’s been the highlight of my career.
“I am also very proud and excited to see Juliet take the helm – she is a master of our sector, and her deep knowledge and experience combined with her digital leadership will see WBD ANZ thrive now, and into the future.”
WBD promotes Juliet Peterson
Peterson says she can’t wait to get stuck in to leading the new business and wanted to thank Glen for his leadership.
“I’m incredibly excited by what the future holds for WBD ANZ. We have the best team in the business and clear plans to scale audiences with the best content that Kiwis could ask for.
“We have built a strong base for ThreeNow in recent months, which has seen the platform achieve record engagement, which will continue to grow.
“I will also be looking across the whole ANZ business to evolve our portfolio in the Trans-Tasman market alongside our partners on both sides of the ditch. My focus is to grow these capabilities even further and continue to provide top-performing channels and platforms for the benefit of our partners and audiences in both markets.
“I am extremely grateful for everything I have learnt from Glen and his support in the last few years. We are set up for an exciting and successful future because of his strong leadership. He will be hugely missed across all parts of the company.”
Juliet Peterson
Peterson will assume leadership of the ANZ networks operation immediately and work alongside Kyne through a transition period before he departs on 5 July.
Peterson has been with Warner Bros Discovery for three years. Before that she spent a total of two decades in roles at TV3 and then TVNZ.
Peterson could be the person who oversees the launch of Max streaming service in Australia and New Zealand in 2025 if that rollout is still the plan.
See also: Warner Bros. Discovery on local production plans and possible Max launch date