Powell Jobs, Kotick Take Board Seats at Merged Skydance Media Giant
The company formed by Paramount's merger with Warner Bros. Discovery named new directors, with David Ellison staying on as chairman and CEO.
Skydance Corporation on October 6, 2026 named the directors and an advisor for the company created by Paramount's merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, according to a company announcement distributed by PR Newswire. The appointments took effect immediately.
David Ellison will chair the board and remain chairman and chief executive. The board keeps all sitting Paramount directors and adds three members: Skydance co-CEO Ynon Kreiz; Laurene Powell Jobs, who founded and leads Emerson Collective; and Bobby Kotick, who founded Activision and ran it for 32 years. Powell Jobs and Kotick are joining as independent directors.
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair will advise the board in a personal capacity. He heads a nonprofit focused on helping governments adapt to artificial intelligence, the company said.
Skydance pointed to Kotick's tenure at Activision, including its combination with Vivendi Games and the eventual $68.7 billion sale of Activision Blizzard to Microsoft, which it described as the video game industry's largest deal.
Ellison said the new directors bring "the experience and fresh perspectives" needed to build the combined company. Skydance operates in studios, direct-to-consumer and TV media, with brands including Paramount, Warner Bros., HBO, CBS, CNN, Nickelodeon, MTV and Comedy Central.
This story was first reported by PR Newswire.
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