- Share this article on Facebook
- Share this article on Twitter
- Share this article on Flipboard
- Share this article on Email
- Show additional share options
- Share this article on Linkedin
- Share this article on Pinit
- Share this article on Reddit
- Share this article on Tumblr
- Share this article on Whatsapp
- Share this article on Print
- Share this article on Comment
Continuing its shift to a worldwide television operation, Warner Bros. announced several promotions Wednesday, including the appointment of David Decker to executive vp business and legal affairs. For the first time in his area, an executive will have oversight of both domestic and international activities.
All of the company’s lawyers and business affairs executives will now report to Decker, who in turn reports to Jeffrey Schlesinger, president of worldwide television distribution.
“It was clear to me that the most effective first step in aligning the distribution of Warner Bros. programming to all television and SVOD outlets around the world is to create a single legal and business affairs group to better service our global customers and share best practices,” said Schlesinger. “This is the one group that is involved in all of our dealings in both the traditional and new media platforms, and their input helps develop our strategy and licensing policy.”
Warner Bros. International Television Distribution also announced the promotion of Robert Blair and Jim Brehm to executive vp. The two will jointly lead the international TV sales division.
“Robert and Jim are two of the smartest, most strategic executives in the international television business today,” said Schlesinger. “They are responsible for some of the largest and most innovative deals we have done internationally, as well as having incredible client relationships.”
The appointments are among the first since Kevin Tsujihara became CEO of Warner Bros. and signal a more global approach to TV distribution.
Decker has been at Warner Bros. TV for nine years and since 2009 has been executive vp business and legal affairs for the domestic TV unit.
Before Warners, Decker spent six years at Stone Stanley Entertainment. He also was a production attorney in business affairs at Buena Vista Television and a contract attorney at Paramount, and he practiced civil litigation law as an independent consultant.
Blair, a 15-year veteran of Warner Bros., served as senior vp for Northern Europe, Middle East and Africa since 2006. He joined Warners in 1998 as GM of its Canadian operations after working for PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and several other Canadian companies, including the consumer products division of Polaroid Canada.
Brehm has been with Warner Bros. for five years, serving as senior vp sales, Canada, Asia Pacific and Latin America. Before Warners, he worked for Disney and ABC International and before that spent 17 years at Paramount. He began his career at Price Waterhouse (now PricewaterhouseCoopers).
Related Stories
THR Newsletters
Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day