Warner Bros. Discovery France boss Pierre Branco has become the latest international exec to depart the company.Branco has been with the company for 17 years, working his way up to being promomted to head of France, Benelux and Africa last year after Warner Bros merged with Discovery. He will stay on until a new structure is finalized under international boss Gerhard Zeiler.His exit follows that of EMEA boss Priya Dogra, Germany head Hannes Heyelmann and international distribution chief Robert Blair in recent weeks.In a note sent round in the past few minutes, Zeiler praised “a rare example of a leader who combines exceptional commercial skills with a truly creative mindset,” pointing to recent Branco successes such as local movie Simone and the launch of the Warner Pass on Amazon Prime Video.He joined Turner in 2006 and held several roles across EMEA, including leading Turner’s TV and digital business in France, the UK, Northern Europe, Middle East and Africa, where he launched brands including Toonami and Warner TV. He then led the Affiliate and Ad-Sales unit in EMEA and was responsible for wholesale distribution contracts when HBO Max was launched in the region.“I am extremely grateful to Pierre for his contribution to our company,” said Zeiler. “His focus on the necessities of today and the knowledge of the needs of tomorrow means he never lost sight of the long-term view of our business.”Branco added: “My 17 years at Warner Bros. Discovery have been ones of immense pride and satisfaction, affording me the privilege of working on the best brands and content in the business, collaborating with incredible colleagues and partners across the globe and leading the most passionate and committed teams from Paris and London across very diverse markets.”Zeiler will be speaking at Mipcom Cannes in a fortnight.
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