Barbara Zaneri, Chief Program Acquisitions Officer at Paramount, is leaving the corporate after 25 years.
Zaneri is leaving to focus full-time on the nonprofit that she based – the Gold Star Companies Community, which honors Gold Star Households who’ve misplaced a liked one as a consequence of U.S. army service.
The information was revealed by Paramount International Co-CEO Chris McCarthy in a word to workers, seen by Deadline.
McCarthy known as the transfer “bittersweet.”
“Anybody lucky sufficient to work with Barb, is aware of she is a real power of nature, blazing trails throughout the trade and main with imaginative and prescient, grit and empathy,” he wrote.
Paramount stated that Zaneri’s exit is unrelated to the latest layoffs on the firm, which noticed it lay off 3.5% of its U.S. workforce, on prime of the 15% it shed final yr, because it struggles within the difficult media setting and underneath its personal protracted possession saga.
Zaneri began working on the firm at Spike TV, which was then referred to as TNN, becoming a member of from USA Broadcasting, which was then owned by Barry Diller. In 2014, she helped launch a centralized Program Acquisitions Group at Viacom Media Networks, main it as EVP, Program Acquisitions, alongside Comedy Central’s David Bernath. She was promoted to Chief Program Acquisitions Officer in 2021.
McCarthy paid tribute to her for “securing landmark offers” for acquisitions together with Mates, The Workplace, Seinfeld, The Massive Bang Idea, Household Man, and Two and a Half Males and just lately closed offers for Paramount collection Tracker, FBI, and Ghosts. “However past the offers and the accolades, what actually stands out is the affect Barb has had on the individuals round her. Along with being a legendary dealmaker, she is a beneficiant mentor, a fierce advocate for others, and a pricey good friend. Her affect has formed the best way we expect, collaborate, and lead – and her affect has resonated deeply inside the firm,” he added.
Following Zaneri’s exit, Virginia Lazalde-McPherson will increase her position. Lazalde-McPherson, who was most just lately EVP and Head of Technique & Enterprise Operations, turns into Chief Acquisitions Officer for Showtime and MTV Leisure Studios.
McCarthy stated that Lazalde-McPherson has been “instrumental in guiding the model by means of a few of its most transformative years” together with the transfer to carry Showtime into Paramount+.
He known as her a “key artistic and strategic power” behind collection equivalent to Yellowjackets, The Chi and Dexter: Unique Sin and “performed a number one position in bringing again” Michael C. Corridor for Dexter: Resurrection.
Lazalde-McPherson joined the corporate as EVP, Enterprise Affairs in 2019 after having spent three years at YouTube.
“Virginia leads with readability, collaboration, and a deep understanding of the place the trade is headed,” he wrote. “We couldn’t be extra excited to see her tackle this well-deserved and broader management place.”
