Veteran Paramount Ad Exec Steps Down in Leadership Shake-up

A veteran Paramount government is leaving as David Ellison’s firm shakes up its advert gross sales management.

Chris Simon, a Paramount EVP of company partnerships, is stepping down, two Paramount workers advised Enterprise Insider.

Simon spent 31 years on the firm, getting his begin at CBS within the mid-’90s, and beforehand labored at USA Networks, in keeping with his LinkedIn.

The 2 Paramount staffers stated the information was shared throughout a mid-afternoon assembly on Wednesday, led by Jay Askinasi, Paramount’s chief income officer, who joined the corporate in November.

Karen Phillips, a 29-year firm veteran whose title can be EVP of company partnerships for Paramount Promoting, will oversee that group after Simon’s departure, Askinasi advised workers.

An skilled Paramount staffer briefed on the change described it as “extra strategic than monetary,” saying that consolidating Simon’s place into Phillips’ was accomplished to “take away duplication.”

A second worker characterised the transfer as being accomplished to “streamline processes” and make “Paramount simpler to work with.”

A 3rd Paramount insider aware of the corporate’s pondering stated there have been a couple of “focused modifications” on the personnel entrance in Paramount Promoting, “centered on decreasing complexity.”

Simon is “stepping down,” this particular person stated, however would stay with the corporate for an unspecified interval to ease the transition.

A Paramount spokesperson declined to remark.

Since taking the helm at Paramount in August, Ellison has made his mark on the corporate with strikes like landing live UFC rights within the US, which is already showing signs of paying off, and by bringing in Bari Weiss as the editor-in-chief of CBS Information.

Ellison additionally made a daring play to buy Warner Bros. Discovery, although WBD selected Netflix as its most well-liked acquirer — a choice Paramount is challenging with shareholders and within the courtroom.

Underneath Ellison, Paramount has additionally known as most employees back to the office 5 days per week, made modifications to its data and insights team, and appeared to jazz up Paramount+ by exploring the addition of short-form video and interactive features.

Personnel shake-ups are widespread at corporations with new management. One other change noticed Paramount’s head of streaming product and tech, Vibol Hou, leave the company on the finish of January, Enterprise Insider beforehand reported.

Have a tip or Paramount-related story thought? Contact this reporter by way of e-mail at jfaris@businessinsider.com or Sign at @jamesfaris.01. Use a private e-mail tackle and a nonwork system; here’s our guide to sharing information securely.