• WarnerMedia names Jason Kilar new chief executive
  • Kilar previously held senior roles at Hulu and Amazon
  • He said: “It will be a privilege to invent, create, and serve with so many talented people”

HBO Max (DANIEL CONSTANTE shutterstock)

WarnerMedia: Appoint new chief executive Jason Kilar as they launch HBO Max

Source: Daniel Constante shutterstock

Hulu’s founding boss Jason Kilar has been appointed the new chief executive of WarnerMedia, effective from 1 May. 

WarnerMedia’s newest chief executive has been confirmed as media, entertainment and technology executive Jason Kilar who has held senior roles at Hulu and Amazon.

Kilar will report to John Stankey, AT&T’s president and chief operating officer.

On the announcement, Stankey said: “Jason is a dynamic executive with the right skill set to lead WarnerMedia into the future. His experience in media and entertainment, direct-to-consumer video streaming and advertising is the perfect fit for WarnerMedia, and I am excited to have him lead the next chapter of WarnerMedia’s storied success.

“Our team led by Bob Greenblatt, Ann Sarnoff, Gerhard Zeiler and Jeff Zucker has done an amazing job establishing our brands as leaders in the hearts and minds of consumers.

“Adding Jason to the talented WarnerMedia family as we launch HBO Max in May gives us the right management team to strategically position our leading portfolio of brands, world-class talent and rich library of intellectual property for future growth.”

jason-kilar

Jason Kilar: WarnerMedia’s newest chief executive

Source: WarnerMedia

Kilar was CEO of Hulu from its start in 2007 until 2013. He served in several leadership positions at Amazon from 1997 to 2006, including senior vice president of Worldwide Application Software.

Kilar was also co-founder & CEO of video streaming service Vessel from 2013 to 2017. Additionally, he served as a board member at DreamWorks Animation from 2013 until 2016 and Univision Communications from 2016 to 2020.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and business from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Kilar said: “In partnership with this world-class team, I’m so excited for the opportunity to lean into the future at WarnerMedia.

“Stories well told have always mattered, and they matter even more in this challenging time for the world. It will be a privilege to invent, create, and serve with so many talented people. May 1st can’t get here soon enough.”