Cohen’s departure comes as the company’s merger with David Ellison’s Skydance is set to close next month.Cohen, who is also President of Republic Pictures, informed colleagues of his exit in a note, seen by Deadline.“This has been an incredibly difficult decision for me as the journey we’ve shared has been one of the most rewarding chapters of my career,” he wrote.As Chief Content Licensing Officer, Cohen was responsible for selling Paramount-produced content to international broadcasters and streamers around the world. On the Republic Pictures side, he revived the film studio as Paramount’s acquisition label, releasing titles including Blackberry, William Friedkin’s final film The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial and The Greatest Night in Pop.He joined the company in 2017 as President of Worldwide Television Licensing, after spending 20 years working at Disney.Cohen is the latest senior executive to leave the company ahead of the deal closing. Paramount co-CEO Chris McCarthy revealed he was also leaving ahead of the merger.While international distribution, particularly on the TV side, has reduced in importance since the streaming boom, the division has always provided healthy financials to the parent company. Skydance will likely hire someone to oversee this side of the business once the deal closes.
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