New Leadership for Warner Bros. Discovery ANZ

Glen Kyne is stepping down from his post at Warner Bros. Discovery ANZ, with Juliet Peterson tapped to succeed him in leading the company’s networks in New Zealand.

Warner Bros. Discovery is restructuring its business in New Zealand, recently announcing the closure of Newshub’s multiplatform news operations. The company also revealed earlier this year that, going forward, all local content will be produced in conjunction with funding partners.

Kyne’s last day at the company is July 5. Peterson, senior director of content and BVOD, will now lead the business as VP and head of networks, reporting to James Gibbons, president for the Asia Pacific at Warner Bros. Discovery. Michael Brooks remains managing director of Warner Bros. International Television Production Australia, reporting to Ronald Goes, and head of studios ANZ, reporting to Gibbons.

“Glen has done an incredible job of navigating industry disruption,” Gibbons said. “He has been a popular and calming leader; his leadership of the organization through its recent restructure put empathy and kindness at the forefront, two attributes that everyone who has worked with Glen knows he has in spades. Glen has been a pivotal member of the APAC leadership team, bringing an excellent mix of industry expertise, operational leadership and commercial acumen to the business. Personally, I’ve valued Glen’s counsel and resilience. He has been an excellent partner and I want to take this moment to sincerely thank him for his contribution.”

Gibbons added: “Juliet is exactly the right person to lead this business into the future. In the three years that Juliet has been with us, she has already demonstrated an amazing ability to build and lead strong teams. Prior to working at WBD, Juliet’s work at TVNZ across multiple business streams saw her grow and develop high-performing channels and platforms across both digital and broadcast. I’m confident that Juliet’s strategic vision and leadership can help drive the business forward.”

Kyne said: “It is a genuine privilege to lead a media business and to be part of a global company with the world’s most recognizable content brands. It has been ten years now working at Flower St under different ownership structures but my love for our business, our people and our industry has never been stronger. Being a part of Discovery and subsequently Warner Bros Discovery, I was lucky enough to build a true global lens across our ANZ operations, and I’ve been honored to have had many wonderful experiences here that I will never forget. It goes without saying that it’s been a particularly challenging year for our teams, but the grace and professionalism with which they’ve carried themselves is a true indication of the people and culture here. I want to thank all of our people, and especially the leadership team for their trust, patience and support of me to lead through these years. It’s been the highlight of my career.

“I am also very proud and excited to see Juliet take the helm—she is a master of our sector, and her deep knowledge and experience combined with her digital leadership will see WBD ANZ thrive now, and into the future.”

Peterson added: “I’m incredibly excited by what the future holds for WBD ANZ. We have the best team in the business and clear plans to scale audiences with the best content that Kiwis could ask for. We have built a strong base for ThreeNow in recent months, which has seen the platform achieve record engagement, which will continue to grow. I will also be looking across the whole ANZ business to evolve our portfolio in the Trans-Tasman market alongside our partners on both sides of the ditch. My focus is to grow these capabilities even further and continue to provide top-performing channels and platforms for the benefit of our partners and audiences in both markets. I am extremely grateful for everything I have learnt from Glen and his support over the last few years. We are set up for an exciting and successful future because of his strong leadership. He will be hugely missed across all parts of the company.”