Leadership Shakeup for HBO Latin America

WarnerMedia Latin America has announced the departures of Luis F. Peraza, president of networks for HBO Latin America, and Roberto Rios, corporate VP of original production for HBO Latin America.

Peraza will be leaving the company effective February 28, 2021. Peraza is part of the founding team that launched HBO in Latin America in 1991 and is a pioneer of the audiovisual industry in the region, having been responsible for the development of the first premium local content in the market, investing in original programming and discovering new talent. He assumed the role of president of networks for HBO Latin America in 2014 and has been responsible for overseeing original productions, content acquisitions, programming and on-air, creative services, consumer marketing and research, and communications for all owned and operated networks of the group.

Whit Richardson, president of WarnerMedia Latin America, said: “Luis is an industry giant who helped shape the Latin American media business. We are deeply thankful for his leadership and his vision to bring HBO to the highest levels of recognition in our region.”

Peraza commented: “As a member of the founding team of HBO in Latin America, I am very proud to have helped launch the service 30 years ago and shaped it to its current state. This has been such a great journey, and I am thankful to so many talented co-workers and colleagues who have joined in this enterprise. I wish them the very best in continuing to position our company and our brand as a favorite in the region.”

Rios will be leaving the company effective February 20, 2021.
Rios joined HBO in 1994 as a programming executive and the first employee in Brazil, where he helped launch the company locally. He later assumed the role of VP of acquisitions and programming and went on to become head of original production for the brand in the region.

Tomás Yankelevich, chief content officer for general entertainment at WarnerMedia Latin America, said: “Beto has helped HBO achieve many firsts in our region, and his contributions to the industry are memorable. He has laid the groundwork for our company to continue to build upon and we want to recognize his passion and commitment to the regional production in Latin America. We wish him all the best in his next phase and hope we can continue to collaborate together in future projects.”

Rios said: “By providing the space where creative minds could show fresh ideas, develop new formats, and take creative risks to build stories that connect to the audience in the region, I wanted to create an environment where quality and creative freedom served as a magnet for talent, attracting some of the best actors, screenwriters, directors and production companies to partner with us. I feel very fortunate to have helped HBO make a difference in the Latin American industry, and will treasure these stories forever.”