The chief product officer at Skydance has recently been named ready to get the ball rolling – and encourage employees alike – on the heels of Paramount Skydance’s merger with Warner Bros. Discovery.
“The leaders who will have the biggest impact here are the ones who tend to operate in ambiguity. They let the best ideas win, stop,” Dane Glasgow, head of product at Skydance, told staff Tuesday in a memo obtained by Business Insider.
Glasgow told the Paramount and WBD teams that they knew the months leading up to the merger had been “challenging” and that they appreciated their “resilience” and “steadfast commitment.”
“I’m very excited about what we’re going to build – an organization where technical craftsmanship matters, where the best ideas win and where we can move forward at a pace that matches our ambitions,” he said.
Glasgow also nodded to CEO David Ellison’s remarks about the merger, saying that technology is “reshaping how stories are created, distributed and experienced” and that the team will help keep the company “on the cutting edge of that work.”
Paramount’s $110 billion acquisition of Skydance from Warner Bros. Discovery was completed on Tuesday, creating a new media giant called Skydance.
Skydance properties currently include Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros. Studios, HBO, CBS, CNN, and others, as well as valuable intellectual properties such as DC Comics and Harry Potter.
Read the full Glasgow memo sent by Skydance employees below:
team, I want to take a moment to welcome you all to the new Product & Tech team at Skydance! For more than a century, Paramount and Warner Bros. have worked as two legendary companies that have built new worlds, delighted audiences, and shared stories that have redefined our industry. As we expand our horizons, I want to make sure that we all take this moment to celebrate the work that has been done to reach this historic moment. As a team, we bring together some of the best product, technology, operations and production service professionals in the business. We will build and deliver next-generation products and services that leverage our combined expertise to bring richer entertainment experiences and capabilities to our team’s key customers: creatives, consumers, advertisers, content and distribution partners, and employees. I also recognize that the last few months have been challenging, especially since many of us have been at the helm of the company’s ongoing transformation. I am deeply grateful for his tenacity and unwavering commitment to deliver to our stakeholders on a daily basis. And I especially want to thank Avi Saxena, Dave Duvall, James Crossland and Tyler Whitworth for their leadership on the WBD side – I look forward to continuing to work with all of you and bringing our team closer together. As we begin, I would also like to share an initial view related to leadership, culture and working methods: 1. In culture: We are bringing together two organizations that each have a lot to be proud of, and a lot to learn from each other. Let’s explore these best intentions with genuine curiosity about how each other works. We will listen and ask each other questions, share information and flag areas of disagreement or misalignment in an open and constructive way. 2. In the way we can: We will always start with a hypothesis and move quickly to build prototypes and internal builds to test our assumptions. We will be early testers for our own products and ensure that a fast and iterative process results in a quality experience for our customers. We will constantly advise and encourage people to stay curious as they explore new ways. And we will hold two things together: patience with each other when we mix two cultures, and a sense of urgency to correct the process that can only reduce us. 3. In Leadership: The leaders who will have the greatest impact here are those who tend to act in an ambiguous manner. They let the best ideas win, quit. He is transparent in both directions: being honest with the team about what is going on, and quickly solving problems before they become bigger problems. They keep the customer at the center of every decision they make. He is willing to roll up his sleeves and demonstrate technical expertise and managerial expertise. And they have results and they have high standards for what they deliver and how they deliver it. As David said earlier today, technology is reshaping how stories are created, distributed and experienced, and this team will play an important role in keeping Skydance at the cutting edge of their work. Each of us has mapped out the roadmap coming into the fourth quarter, and I’m excited to continue moving forward. As we share organizational updates with you in the coming weeks and months, I urge you to stay focused on your current priorities and responsibilities. When decisions are made, we will show them deliberately and carefully as we build a world-class, high-performance organization and culture. If you have any questions, visit the Skydance Integration Hub, which will be your go-to source for updates, FAQs, and other information as we move forward through this transition. A replay of the current City Hall will also be available there. In the coming weeks, I will spend time in all locations listening and learning from you. We will find opportunities for our teams to create and collaborate – not only among themselves, but with our partners throughout the organization, including DTC, Studios, Finance, Advertising Sales and more. I am very excited about what we will build – an organization where technical work is important, where the best ideas win and where we can move forward at a pace that matches our ambitions. Thank you for the work that brought us here, and for all that we will achieve as we continue to master the climb – let’s go! congratulations! Dane