Skydance Announces Board, Adding Ynon Kreiz, Laurene Powell Jobs and Bobby Kotick as Directors and Tony Blair as Advisor

Skydance (NYSE: SKYD) announced three additions to its board and an advisor for the newly combined company, effective immediately.

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Skydance (NYSE: SKYD) announced three additions to its board and an advisor for the newly combined company, effective immediately.

The company was formed through Paramount's merger with Warner Bros. Discovery (NASDAQ: WBD). David Ellison remains chairman and chief executive officer. The board includes all current Paramount board members, joined by Skydance Co-CEO Ynon Kreiz, Emerson Collective founder and president Laurene Powell Jobs, and Activision founder and former CEO Bobby Kotick. Powell Jobs and Kotick join as independent directors. Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair joins as a board advisor acting in a personal capacity.

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David Ellison will continue to serve as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Founder and President of Emerson Collective Laurene Powell Jobs and Activision founder Bobby Kotick join as Independent Directors, along with Skydance Co-CEO Ynon Kreiz; former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair to serve as Board Advisor

LOS ANGELES and NEW YORK, Oct. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Skydance Corporation (NYSE: SKYD) ("Skydance") today announced the director and advisor designees for the newly combined company, formed through Paramount's merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (NASDAQ: WBD). The designees will join the Skydance Board of Directors, effective immediately.

David Ellison will chair the Board and continue to serve as Skydance's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. The Board will include all current members of Paramount's Board, along with three new additions: Ynon Kreiz, Co-Chief Executive Officer of Skydance, Laurene Powell Jobs, founder and president of Emerson Collective; and Bobby Kotick, founder and former Chief Executive Officer of Activision. Powell Jobs and Kotick will join as Independent Directors.

Powell Jobs is a visionary entrepreneur and one of the most influential leaders in business and philanthropy. She is also a committed investor in journalism and media, supporting quality, independent reporting and storytelling at both the national and local levels. She built her career on creating institutions that endure and drive meaningful change. Her leadership extends across education, climate and community-driven initiatives. As founder and president of Emerson Collective, she pioneered a groundbreaking model that unites venture investing and philanthropic grant-making to tackle society's most complex challenges, and she has shown a rare gift for identifying bold ideas early and scaling them into lasting impact. That dedication, together with her extensive experience in investing and philanthropy, makes her a valuable addition to Skydance's board.

Bobby Kotick brings more than three decades of public-company leadership, having served as CEO of Activision for 32 years and built it into one of the world's most successful video game companies. He paired bold strategic moves, including the company's merger with Vivendi Games, with disciplined capital allocation and a consistent record of rewarding shareholders. That record culminated in the sale of Activision Blizzard to Microsoft for $68.7 billion, the largest transaction in the history of the video game industry. Throughout his tenure, he showed a rare ability to anticipate shifts in how consumers engage with entertainment, investing in new platforms, new business models and new ways of reaching fans while keeping creative excellence at the center of the enterprise. His experience scaling a franchise-driven business, managing the complexity of a global public company and steering major industry transitions will serve Skydance well as it navigates an evolving media and entertainment landscape.

Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair will join as a Board Advisor. Blair, who will be acting in a personal capacity, is Executive Chairman of the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, a not-for-profit organization, which helps leaders govern in the age of AI. His global leadership experience and commitment to innovation position him as an invaluable advisor in shaping Skydance's strategic priorities.  

Skydance is a creative-first, audience-focused, tech-forward and globally scaled company, and these directors reflect that ambition. Their combined experience across media and entertainment, technology, finance and global affairs will provide strategic guidance and oversight as Skydance brings together its complementary businesses, storytelling capabilities and technology platforms, helping to align our goals and accelerate growth.

Said David Ellison, Chairman and CEO of Paramount, a Skydance Corporation:

"I am delighted to welcome Laurene and Bobby to our Board and honored to have Tony join us as an Advisor. Laurene is a true visionary and one of the great institution builders of our time. Her vision, judgment and unwavering commitment to high-quality journalism and media investments make her a truly exceptional addition to our Board. Through Emerson Collective, she pioneered an innovative model that brings together venture investing and philanthropy to tackle society's most complex challenges, and she has an extraordinary gift for recognizing bold ideas early and turning them into lasting impact."

Ellison continued: "Bobby led a global entertainment company through three decades of sustained growth, and he brings real perspective on building enduring franchises and connecting with fans. His record of pairing bold strategic moves with disciplined capital allocation is exactly the experience we need as we bring our businesses together. Tony has led at the highest levels of government, respected for his intellect, strategic vision and ability to bring people together around bold, forward-looking ideas. His global perspective and insight will be invaluable as we turn ambition into results."

Ellison added: "Together with our other directors, they bring the experience and fresh perspectives we need to build Skydance into an extraordinary company, one that honors the legacies of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery while setting a bold course for the future. 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."

The Director-designees are as follows:

• David Ellison, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Skydance
• Barbara Byrne, Former Vice Chairman of Barclays PLC (Independent Director)
• Andy Campion, Chairman and CEO of Unrivaled Sports (Independent Director)
• Gerry Cardinale, Founder, Managing Partner, and Chief Investment Officer, RedBird Capital Partners
• Safra A. Catz, Executive Vice Chair and Former CEO, Oracle Corporation
• Andy Gordon, President of Skydance
• Justin G. Hamill, Managing Director and Chief Legal Officer, Silver Lake (Independent Director)
• Lauren Powell Jobs, Founder and President, Emerson Collective (Independent Director)
• Bobby Kotick, Founder and former CEO of Activision (Independent Director)
• Ynon Kreiz, Co-Chief Executive Officer of Skydance
• Sherry Lansing, Former Chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures (Independent Director)
• Paul Marinelli, President, Lawrence Investments, LLC
• John L. Thornton, Chairman of RedBird Capital Partners

About Skydance

Skydance is a next-generation global media and entertainment company, composed of three business segments: Studios, Direct-to-Consumer, and TV Media. Skydance's portfolio unites legendary brands, including Paramount, Warner Bros., HBO, Paramount+, Pluto TV, CBS, CNN, CBS Sports, TNT Sports, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, MTV, Food Network, BET, HGTV, and Comedy Central.

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SOURCE Skydance Corporation