Key facts
- Ray Hopkins, Skydance's president of distribution, sent the memo reviewed by Reuters.
- Departing executives from Warner Bros. Discovery are Rivka Golomb, Kelly Kane, Jeff Cross and Rich Palermo.
- Departing executives from the Paramount side are David Comisar, Kurt Davis, Deena Demasi and Ken Kay.
- Jeff Cross will remain as senior advisor to the distribution business, with Rick Baker taking over his duties.
- Skydance is seeking at least $6 billion in planned savings while managing roughly $80 billion in combined debt.
- Skydance is expected to have about 53,000 employees, per 2025 annual filings of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery.
Skydance named Sarah Bergman and Mickey Carter to lead its distribution business and said eight executives are set to leave the company, according to a memo sent on Tuesday, November 3, 2026 and reviewed by Reuters. The memo was sent by Ray Hopkins, Skydance's president of distribution, who said the new leadership team would work on the structure of their respective organizations in the coming weeks.
The departures include four executives from Warner Bros. Discovery: Rivka Golomb, Kelly Kane, Jeff Cross and Rich Palermo. The other four, David Comisar, Kurt Davis, Deena Demasi and Ken Kay, come from the Paramount side of the company. The memo also named seven Paramount and Warner Bros. executives to key leadership roles under Bergman and Carter.
Distribution focuses on cutting deals with cable and satellite operators, TV stations and streaming platforms to carry the company's content. After Paramount-Skydance completed its $110 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, the combined entity was named Skydance. The company did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Skydance, led by David Ellison, is looking to achieve at least $6 billion in planned savings while managing roughly $80 billion in combined debt. Bergman is executive vice president of networks and streaming distribution for Warner Bros. Discovery, while Carter is executive vice president of US distribution for Paramount, according to their LinkedIn pages.
Jeff Cross, executive vice president of legal, distribution and commercial partnerships, will also leave the organization but will remain as senior advisor to the distribution business. His duties will be taken over by Rick Baker, Paramount's executive vice president and deputy general counsel for distribution business and legal affairs. Skydance offered some employees a one-time voluntary buyout, and the company is expected to have about 53,000 employees, according to 2025 annual filings of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery.