Skydance Media announced the full slate of 10 directors for Paramount Skydance Corp., the company resulting from its merger with Paramount Global.
The directors will be elected and begin serving on the Paramount board effective at the completion of the proposed merger with Paramount, expected to close Aug. 7. The current Paramount Global directors, including Shari Redstone, will step down upon the close of the combination.
The Paramount board will consist of 10 directors, including three independent directors. The majority of the board is comprised of the largest shareholders of the company, “further underscoring the deep commitment to building long-term value for all stakeholders,” according to Skydance.
As previously announced, David Ellison, CEO of Skydance Media, will assume the role of chairman and CEO of the new Paramount. The Ellison family will have 100% voting control over Paramount Skydance; the deal was largely bankrolled by Oracle founder Larry Ellison. Nonvoting shares of Paramount Skydance will trade under the symbol “PSKY.”
Also joining the board of the new company are Sherry Lansing, former head of Paramount Pictures; Safra Katz, who has served as CEO of Larry Ellison’s Oracle since 2014; and Gerry Cardinale, whose RedBird Capital Partners was a major backer of the Paramount takeover.
The new directors are:
- David Ellison, future chairman and CEO, Paramount
- Barbara Byrne, former vice chairman of Barclays PLC (independent director)
- Gerry Cardinale, founder, managing partner and chief investment officer, RedBird Capital Partners
- Safra A. Catz, CEO, Oracle
- Andy Gordon, future chief strategy officer and COO, Paramount
- Justin G. Hamill, managing director and chief legal officer, Silver Lake (independent director)
- Sherry Lansing, former chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures (independent director)
- Paul Marinelli, president, Lawrence Investments, LLC
- Jeff Shell, future president, Paramount
- John L. Thornton, chairman of RedBird Capital Partners
It’s worth noting that Katz stepped down from Disney’s board in 2024. Byrne, meanwhile, has served on the board of Paramount Global as an independent director.
On Monday, Skydance announced key leadership appointments for the new Paramount Skydance. That included Gordon, who leads the West Coast office of RedBird, who will take the role of chief operating officer and chief strategic officer.
David Ellison said in a statement: “We are thrilled and honored to welcome this truly outstanding group of director-designees to our Board. They are dynamic leaders whose impact spans industries and whose reputations resonate across the business world globally. The legacy of Paramount is one of our greatest strategic assets and it is our strong desire and fiduciary duty to honor that history while positioning the business for sustained value creation. These highly qualified, world-class executives share in our commitment and will play a critical role in guiding the future direction of our combined company, and we are deeply grateful for their willingness to serve.”