Gerhard Zeiler is leaving Skydance just a week after the company’s merger with Paramount officially closed. The Warner Bros. International president announced his exit in an internal memo Friday, effective at the end of next week, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
“It is surprisingly difficult to find the right words to say goodbye,” Zeiler wrote in the memo. “At the end of next week, I will leave the company.”
The Details Behind Zeiler’s Exit
Zeiler, 71, had held the president of international role since 2020 and took on oversight of Discovery’s global operations once the Discovery-WarnerMedia merger closed in April 2022. He joined Turner in 2012 as president of Turner International, running entertainment and kids networks outside North America, and before that served as CEO of RTL Group, part of German media conglomerate Bertelsmann. Earlier in his career, the Austrian national was secretary general of his home country’s public broadcaster, ORF.
The merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery officially closed Oct. 2. Zeiler’s departure is not the only one tied to the deal: Kevin MacLellan, Paramount’s head of global content distribution and international, is also leaving Skydance.
MacLellan joined Paramount in August 2025, reporting directly to co-CEO David Ellison. He directed worldwide licensing of Paramount, CBS and Skydance film and television content and oversaw international cable networks including MTV, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon, plus broadcast businesses Channel 5 (UK) and Network 10 (Australia).
MacLellan, who has a strong relationship with Ellison, appears the likeliest candidate to take Skydance’s top international post, given his role at Paramount and questions about Zeiler’s political future.
What It Means For Fans And The International Business
For now, JB Perrette, former Warner Bros. Discovery executive and co-chair and chief business officer of Skydance TV and Skydance DTC, oversees all networks and streaming platforms outside the United States.
Skydance co-CEOs David Ellison and Ynon Kreiz are reorganizing the international business, though the larger structure has not been determined. The departures of both Zeiler and MacLellan leave a leadership gap as the reorganization proceeds.
Zeiler’s Political Ambitions In Austria
Zeiler has signaled he intends to seek leadership of Austria’s Social Democratic Party (SPO), part of Austria’s coalition government.
“I believe I am the right person to lead the party out of this historic low,” Zeiler told the Austrian press.
Zeiler initially expressed interest in replacing SPO leader Andreas Babler, Austria’s vice chancellor, but later withdrew support and backed another candidate. Babler has said he will step down early next year due to pressure and declining polling. Zeiler has kept ties to Austrian politics for a decade and previously sought the SPO chairmanship.
What’s Next
Zeiler’s departure becomes final at the end of next week. Skydance has not announced a permanent successor for international leadership beyond Perrette’s expanded role, and the reorganization remains underway.
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