Priya Dogra Exiting Warner Bros. Discovery After 14 Years

Max Goldbart
·4-min read

Warner Bros. Discovery EMEA boss Priya Dogra is exiting the company after 14 years in post and her role is being closed.

Dogra has been serving as President & Managing Director, EMEA since the high-profile merger of Warner Media and Discovery. In an email to staff in the past few minutes, her boss Gerhard Zeiler said the pair had “mutually agreed” that she will leave at the end of this year. Zeiler’s full email, which was obtained by Deadline, can be read below.

More from Deadline

Going forwards, the EMEA team will report to Zeiler and Dogra will not be replaced. The EMEA team is split into regions with the likes of Antonio Ruiz running UK and Ireland, Christina Sulebakk overseeing Nordics and Jamie Cooke looking after the Baltics, Middle East, Mediterranean and Turkey.

Zeiler said the news “will come as a surprise to many, especially because Priya has been a key partner to me and has been instrumental in many important developments at our company during her tenure.” Her exit is the second major international departure in a fortnight, following TV distribution chief Robert Blair, who will also not be replaced.

Dogra has been with the company for almost 14 years, during which time she has risen up the ranks, taking on roles including Head of Mergers & Acquisitions for Time Warner, Head of Strategy and Corporate Development for WarnerMedia and President of WarnerMedia Entertainment Networks EMEA & APAC prior to various mergers.

She was one of the big winners of the WBD merger, taking on the large EMEA role under Zeiler, with a number of country managers reporting into her. The move will therefore come as much of a surprise to the international community as Zeiler said it will to staff. Dogra was due to keynote the RTS London confab in a few weeks, for example.

WBD is continuing to implement layoffs and restructures as it grapples with various macroeconomic shocks, the streaming downturn and dual strikes.

Zeiler’s note in full


Dear all,
 
As we continue to evolve our company in response to significant changes in our industry, Priya Dogra and I have mutually agreed that she will leave WBD later this year. As you know, Priya has served as President & Managing Director, EMEA for Warner Bros. Discovery since the merger last year, having previously held a similar role for WarnerMedia.
 
I appreciate this news will come as a surprise to many, especially because Priya has been a key partner to me and has been instrumental in many important developments at our company during her tenure. Priya is a hugely popular leader and is familiar to many of you, having been with us for nearly 14 years, during which time she has made a significant and lasting impact. Priya held several vital roles during her time with us including Head of Mergers & Acquisitions for Time Warner and Head of Strategy and Corporate Development for WarnerMedia.
 
I have known Priya since I joined Turner in 2012 and she is a world-class executive, whose knowledge of our industry, and especially the international media landscape, is extraordinary. She is as much an expert in the commercial side of our business as she is passionate and knowledgeable about content. 
 
I want to take this moment to give my sincere thanks to Priya for her exceptional and unwavering leadership, professionalism and dedication which has driven the success of our incredible network and streaming brands, TV series, films, and games, delivering growth in a complex and continuously changing region.
 
Priya has shepherded the business through several organisational changes proving herself a strategic and empathetic leader. Managing the EMEA business has required working closely with multiple stakeholders across the organisation and Priya has fostered a collaborative culture focused on driving company-wide success.
 
She has also been a brilliant partner to me, and I know many of you will join me in that sentiment. I’m truly thankful for everything Priya has done for our company, and we will miss her dearly.
 
Going forward, the EMEA leadership team will report directly to me. 
 
Gerhard

Best of Deadline

Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest stories