Studio's Top Executive, Paramount Motion Picture Group President Mike Ireland, Leaves Position During Skydance Merger Negotiations
Paramount Announces New Leadership as Skydance Takeover Completes
In a significant shift from the Shari Redstone era, Paramount Global has announced a new leadership lineup following the closure of the $8.4 billion Skydance takeover on August 7. The new leaders at Paramount Motion Picture Group are Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein as co-chairs of Paramount Pictures.
David Ellison, founder of Skydance, will assume the roles of chairman and CEO of the combined Paramount Skydance Corp, overseeing the larger corporate structure. Ellison will be joined by Jeff Shell, from RedBird Capital Partners and former NBCUniversal chief, who will preside over TV operations.
Dana Goldberg, previously Skydance's chief creative officer, will also chair Paramount Television Studios and Nickelodeon Films. Greenstein, who returned from Sony Pictures where he was motion pictures president, will serve as co-chair of Paramount Pictures and vice chair of platforms.
Mike Ireland, former president of Paramount Motion Picture Group, is leaving the studio. Ireland joined Paramount in November 2020 and was named co-president of production in January 2021. He will stay on in a consulting role to help with the transition. Ireland is also considering an offer for a producing deal with the studio.
Daria Cercek, a former co-head of the motion picture group, left Paramount in February 2025 to become the president of Disney's theatrical live-action division. Tom Ryan, president and CEO of Paramount Streaming, also stepped down this week.
The new leadership team will also include Andy Gordon as chief operating officer and chief strategic officer, Cindy Holland as chair of direct-to-consumer services (Paramount+ and Pluto TV), Stephanie Kyoko McKinnon as general counsel, and Jim Sterner as chief people officer. Don Granger, Skydance president of features and sports, is expected to lead film under the co-chairs soon.
Josh Greenstein is leaving his job as co-president of the Motion Picture Group at Sony to join Paramount. There is significant executive shuffling at Paramount Global in preparation for the Skydance merger.
Sources: [1] Variety: https://variety.com/2022/film/news/paramount-skydance-merger-dana-goldberg-josh-greenstein-co-chairs-1235278864/ [2] Deadline: https://deadline.com/2022/08/paramount-skydance-merger-dana-goldberg-josh-greenstein-co-chairs-paramount-pictures-1235298649/ [3] Hollywood Reporter: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/paramount-global-skydance-merger-completes-1235280713/ [4] The Wrap: https://www.thewrap.com/paramount-global-skydance-merger-completes-dana-goldberg-josh-greenstein-co-chairs-paramount-pictures/
In the aftermath of the Skydance takeover, the finance and business sphere has been reshuffled within Paramount Global. Dana Goldberg, previously from Skydance, has been appointed as the chairman of Paramount Television Studios and Nickelodeon Films, with a focus on entertainment, while Josh Greenstein, returning from Sony Pictures, assumes the role of co-chair of Paramount Pictures, overseeing both film and platforms.
