WBD appoints Spenley as DTC Chief Marketing Officer
August 29, 2024
Shauna Spenley is joining Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) as Global Chief Marketing Officer of Direct-to-Consumer, announced JB Perrette, CEO and President, Global Streaming and Games. Spenley will arrive on September 3rd. She will fill the position held by Patrizio Spagnoletto, who has decided to depart WBD but will remain into the autumn to assist in the transition.
Spenley will oversee the global streaming marketing organisation that drives subscription growth for the company’s streaming platforms, including Max and discovery+. In this role, she will have broad responsibilities across branding, content marketing, subscriber growth, retention & engagement, marketing science, research and media. Spenley will work closely with other WBD divisions, in particular US networks and international teams, to leverage all of WBDy’s assets.
Spenley most recently served as Global President of Entertainment at Riot Games. Joining in 2021, she led Riot’s expansion into film, television and music, as well as overseeing Riot IP strategy and Consumer Products. Before Riot, she was the Vice President of Marketing and Publicity at Netflix, where she spent 15 years in various senior leadership roles.
“It is a privilege to be joining this phenomenal team. I have been a subscriber and fan of Max since its launch. The incredible array of content is unmatched in the industry, including the most prestigious brand in television: HBO,” said Spenley. “I cannot wait to jump in and get to work with JB, Casey and the marketing group. I believe we are incredibly positioned to ride the recent momentum of Max and grow it to be a top global streamer.”
“I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity WBD has given me and proud of the momentum we built around Max,” said Spagnoletto. “Though this is only the beginning chapter for Max, it is a good transition moment and I have full faith that Shauna and the incredible team here will succeed in making Max a top entertainment destination around the world.”
“We are so fortunate to be able to bring in a talent of Shauna’s caliber and it says a lot about our achievements, our assets and team, and opportunity ahead of us that she can’t wait to join our One WBD Team. I have the utmost confidence in Shauna and this entire team to deliver outstanding results as we move forward together,” added Perrette. “I cannot say enough about Pato’s innumerable contributions both at Warner Bros. Discovery and Discovery before that. I feel that I can speak for everyone in saying that we will miss his strategic and operational expertise, innovative spirit and inspiring leadership. I could not have asked for a better partner in getting Discovery+ and then Max off the ground, helping us navigate this crucial, initial launch and growth phase across the world.”