After trying to reassure Wall Street with their brief opening remarks at the Paramount Global earnings call, the trio of executives named to the newly formed Office of the CEO looked to do the same with the company’s employees rattled by the sudden ouster of longtime CEO Bob Bakish amid sale negotiations with Skydance.In a joint memo Monday afternoon, George Cheeks, President and CEO of CBS; Chris McCarthy, President and CEO, Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios and Paramount Media Networks; and Brian Robbins, President and CEO of Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon; addressed staffers in their new roles as Bakish’s successors.It followed a company email by Shari Redstone, Chair of Paramount’s Board of Directors, who announced the creation of the Office of the CEO comprised of Cheeks, McCarthy and Robbins.“As a team they bring to bear incredible knowledge and understanding of our business and will bring stability to the company while simultaneously developing a long-range strategic plan to take full advantage of the opportunities ahead for Paramount Global,” Redstone said in her memo, telling employees, “We will need all of you to help drive execution of that plan.”As they did on the earnings call, Cheeks, McCarthy and Robbins spoke about the strength of their partnership and their long-term strategic plan.“Going forward, we are finalizing a new long-term plan to best position this storied company to reach new and greater heights in our rapidly changing world,” they wrote in their email before acknowledging the high level of anxiety within the company in light of the recent layoffs, today’s CEO exit and pending sale amid ongoing financial woes.“We know this has been a challenging time, and the days ahead may be equally challenging as we adapt and collaborate in new ways together,” they said. “The work we will need to do together is important and will set us up best for long term success. Please know we will move forward with purpose, focus and passion on behalf of all our important stakeholders – all of you, our teams, our shareholders, creative partners, advertisers, and distribution partners.”Admitting that employees likely have a lot of questions, Cheeks, McCarthy and Robbins promised more updates soon, including a company town hall.
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