Warner Bros. Discovery ANZ senior vice president and head of networks Glen Kyne will depart the business in July, with senior director of content and BVOD Juliet Peterson stepping into the role.
Kyne became the joint lead for Discovery ANZ in Australia, New Zealand, and Pacific Islands alongside Rebecca Kent at the end of 2020, following the company’s acquisition of Mediaworks TV, where he spent more than six years.
The following year, he took sole leadership of the trans-Tasman business after Kent was appointed to the newly-created position of senior vice president, transformation, before moving into his current role in June 2022 in the wake of WarnerMedia’s merger with Discovery.
Kyne said while he was “very proud” of his work at WBD, he felt the time was right for him to step down and allow someone else to lead the newly remodelled business.
“It is a genuine privilege to lead a media business, and to be part of a global company with the world’s most recognisable content brands,” he said.
“It has been 10 years now working at Flower St under different ownership structures but my love for our business, our people, and our industry has never been stronger.
“Being a part of Discovery and subsequently Warner Bros Discovery, I was lucky enough to build a true global lens across our ANZ operations, and I’ve been honoured to have had many wonderful experiences here that I will never forget.
“It goes without saying that it’s been a particularly challenging year for our teams, but the grace and professionalism with which they’ve carried themselves is a true indication of the people and culture here. I want to thank all of our people, and especially the leadership team for their trust, patience and support of me to lead through these years. It’s been the highlight of my career.”
Peterson, who in her role as ANZ vice president and head of networks will report to WBD Asia Pacific president James Gibbons, paid tribute to Kyne and expressed her excitement about the future.
“We have the best team in the business and clear plans to scale audiences with the best content that Kiwis could ask for,” she said.
“We have built a strong base for ThreeNow in recent months, which has seen the platform achieve record engagement, which will continue to grow. I will also be looking across the whole ANZ business to evolve our portfolio in the Trans-Tasman market alongside our partners on both sides of the ditch. My focus is to grow these capabilities even further and continue to provide top-performing channels and platforms for the benefit of our partners and audiences in both markets.”
“I am extremely grateful for everything I have learnt from Glen and his support in the last few years.”
Gibbons said Kyne had done an “incredible job” of navigating industry disruption.
“He has been a popular and calming leader; his leadership of the organisation through its recent restructure put empathy and kindness at the forefront, two attributes that everyone who has worked with Glen knows he has in spades,” he said.
“Glen has been a pivotal member of the APAC leadership team, bringing an excellent mix of industry expertise, operational leadership, and commercial acumen to the business.”
Peterson will assume leadership of the ANZ networks operation from today and work alongside Kyne through a transition period before he departs on July 5.
Michael Brooks will continue in his dual role as MD of Warner Bros. International Television Production Australia, reporting to Ronald Goes, and head of studios, ANZ, reporting to Gibbons.