Bela Bajaria Shakes Up Netflix Executive Structure
Executive shake-ups continue to happen at media and entertainment companies around the world as they adapt to the new normal brought about by the global coronavirus pandemic. Even streaming giant Netflix is not immune as new Global TV head Bela Bajaria restructures the executive team.
The Hollywood Reporter says Bajaria has promoted former executives at the company and has also streamlined the departments at the streaming giant into just five: overall deals, unscripted, event series, comedy, and drama.
Heading these departments will be Renate Radford, Jinny Howe, Peter Friedlander, and Brian Wright. Radford will head the current programming and drama department, while Howe will head the drama development department. Friedlander will lead the newly-established division for spectacle and event TV, while Wright will head the department for overall deals for the original series.
Deadline reports that while a head for comedy has not yet been named, the department's interim lead will be Andy Weil. Other promotions reported by Deadline include that of Larry Tanz becoming the head of EMEA local language series. Kelly Luegenbiehl, who held that position previously, is now head of global franchises.
The current head of Korea, Minyoung Kim, now also handles AZ/NZ and Southeast Asia. Meanwhile, other Netflix executives remain where they are, such as Anne Mensah of the UK, Monika Shergill of India, John Derderian of Japan/Hong Kong/Taiwan, and Francisco Ramos of Latin America.
Bajaria came into her new position at Netflix last month, taking on the position many thought would be given to Cindy Holland, a longtime executive at Netflix who was the brains behind the transformation of the company into a streaming giant.
Under Holland’s leadership, Netflix became known for critically-acclaimed shows like Narcos, House of Cards, Ozark, Orange is the New Black, The Crown, and Stranger Things. Once Bajaria was promoted to her new position, Holland left Netflix after 20 years of working there.
Another executive hired as part of Netflix’s efforts to adapt to the new normal is Bozoma Saint John, who came in as the streaming giant’s new chief marketing officer last August. When she joined two months ago, Saint John expressed her intent to increase audience engagement with the company.
Preparing for the new entertainment landscape brought about by the global coronavirus pandemic is essential, especially since streaming has emerged as the preferred entertainment method by people stuck in their homes because of lockdowns or quarantines.
The current state of the global coronavirus pandemic looks like streaming will continue to be the preferred entertainment medium. According to the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 dashboard for Oct. 27, there are now 43,341,451 confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide. Deaths are now at 1,157,509 people.