Agency-Centric Strategy brings complete WBD portfolio under single point of client contact
New Sports structure delivers dedicated league and partnership power
Jon Steinlauf, Chief U.S. Advertising Sales Officer, Warner Bros. Discovery, today announced a new strategy and structure for his Advertising Sales organization and leadership team. Under the new structure, advertising agency partners will work with dedicated WBD Sales leaders and teams providing them with direct access to Warner Bros. Discovery’s entire portfolio of brands, including lifestyle, entertainment, sports, news and streaming under one umbrella. The new strategy also brings WBD’s full suite of Advanced Advertising Sales solutions across the company’s vast linear and digital platforms together in a more impactful way.
“Over the past year, we have been listening to our clients and partners and have seen firsthand what is delivering real value for them and great performance for us. This new structure will allow us to deliver what matters most for all – creating a single and seamless interface into the full world of WBD,” said Steinlauf. “We are leveraging the power of our world-class content, platforms and partnerships to drive how the market works now – and for years to come.”
The new agency-focused teams will be led by Marybeth Strobel and Greg Regis and will be responsible for sales across WBD’s complete portfolio. Among the top six holding companies, Publicis, GroupM and Horizon Media accounts will sit with Regis, and Omnicom, Magna and Dentsu will be led by Strobel.
Jon Diament will drive the ad and partner strategy with a dedicated team for the entirety of the hugely successful WBD Sports portfolio. He will also manage relationships and development with over 100 WBD clients who are official partners of the NBA, NCAA, MLB and NHL. Additionally, he will serve as the primary Ad Sales contact for internal stakeholders, including WBD Sports leadership and Bleacher Report leadership, among others.
Ryan Gould will now lead the Digital Team in a newly created role, and set the strategic direction of the company’s suite of digital offerings, including Max, discovery+, WBD Stream and CNN digital. That team will also oversee the company’s advanced advertising, programmatic sales and data strategy. Gould will also be the primary Ad Sales contact for WBD’s internal streaming and direct-to-consumer leadership stakeholders.
Sheereen Russell will oversee a new Client Partnerships team that will focus on client development and partnership strategy with key advertisers across the WBD linear and digital portfolio. This team will work more closely with other WBD divisions like theatrical, distribution, gaming and licensing for topline revenue optimization. She will also continue to lead the Inclusive Ad Sales Solutions team, supporting brands seeking diverse audiences in front of and behind the camera.
Laura Galietta will continue to lead Integrated Advertising Sales Marketing across all WBD digital and linear platforms and genres, developing strategic alliances with clients across the WBD portfolio and overseeing the execution activation of customized multi-platform solutions that drive revenue and value.
Robert Voltaggio will continue to lead Advertising Sales Revenue, Planning & Operations, for all US Networks and digital platforms, portfolio management, sales support, commercial operations and direct response for the company’s entire portfolio.
Andrea Zapata will continue to lead Ad Sales Research, Measurement, Data and Insights for the company’s portfolio of linear and digital brands. She will also oversee marketplace intelligence, category and client insights, as well as outcome-focused research for advertisers. In addition, she will be responsible for WBD Ad Sales data strategy for the company’s data-driven linear, addressable and convergence solutions.
The new structure will roll out over the next several weeks and agency stakeholders will be contacted directly for their individual businesses. Steinlauf expects the newly formed team to be in the market by Labor Day.