A female studio CEO is a rarity in Hollywood, despite women making up 51% of moviegoers in the US. On Monday, June 24th, Warner Brothers made the first steps towards changing that. “She brings a consistent and proven track record of innovation, creativity and business results to lead an incredibly successful studio to its next chapter of growth,” Says Warner Media CEO, John Stankey, announcing Warner Brothers new CEO Ann Sarnoff.
Sarnoff spent time as the president of BBC Studios Americas, with about a decade of experience at the BBC. She previously held executive roles at Dow Jones, the Women’s National Basketball Association, and Viacom. Warner Brothers is planning to put their all into its new upcoming streaming service, and needed a leader who could unite the theatrical division with a new streaming business. During the years that Sarnoff spent at BBC Worldwide they saw an increase from 68M to 80M, according to BBC’s website.
In an interview with Deadline, when asked about the audience she plans to reach she says, “They’re experiencing entertainment differently than any generation previously.” She described Warner as an ‘amazing institution’ and a ‘solid base’ to grow from and that the studio’s main challenge is to ’emotionally connect with our audiences and build a connection that can last into future generations.'”
