As WBD splits into two companies, That Park Place has received information that seems to show Warner Bros. and Discovery are ditching DEI.
In a move that has sparked widespread discussion in entertainment circles, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) announced today that the names of its two split entites will be Warner Bros. (which will encompass the company’s streaming services (like Max) and movie studio assets) and Discovery Global (focused on cable networks (such as HGTV, Food Network, and TLC).
This restructuring effectively undoes much of the 2022 merger between WarnerMedia and Discovery Inc., which created WBD under CEO David Zaslav.
WBD CEO David Zaslav Speaks at a New York Times event – YouTube, New York Times Events
This split comes at a time when WBD has faced financial pressures, including a reported $9.1 billion write-down in its TV networks business in Q2 2024, amid declining cable subscriptions and advertising revenue. The decision to separate is positioned as a strategic pivot to allow each entity to operate independently, potentially attracting investors or buyers for the cable-heavy Discovery Global side. Zaslav, who has overseen aggressive cost-cutting since the merger (including layoffs and content cancellations), described the move as a way to “unlock value” for shareholders. However, the announcement has also fueled speculation about deeper cultural and operational shifts, particularly regarding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives at both Warner Bros and Discovery Global.
Investigative journalist Jonas J. Campbell of That Park Place shared on X shortly after the split news that he obtained an internal WBD employee email listing officers for the post-split Warner Bros. and Discovery Global entities. Campbell’s thread highlighted a notable absence: no officers with titles related to Inclusion, Diversity, or Equity.
I got a hold of Warner Bros. and Discovery Global’s employee email listing out officers for both companies.
No mentions on that list of Inclusion or Diversity officers.
What do you make of that?
— Jonas J. Campbell (@JonasJCampbell) July 28, 2025
The list for Warner Bros. included:
- Pam Abdy, Co-Chair and CEO, Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group
- Priya Aiyar, Chief Legal Officer
- Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO, HBO and HBO Max Content
- Bruce Campbell, Chief Operating Officer
- Mike DeLuca, Co-Chair and CEO, Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group
- Channing Dungey, Chairman and CEO, Warner Bros. TV
- Robert Gibbs, Chief Communication and Public Affairs Officer
- James Gunn, Co-Chairman and CEO, DC Studios
- Lori Locke, Chief Accounting Officer (Reporting to CFO)
- JB Perrette, CEO & President of Streaming and Games
- Peter Safran, Co-Chairman and CEO, DC Studios
- Avi Saxena, Chief Technology Officer (reporting to JB Perrette)
Discovery Global’s list includes:
- David Duvall, Chief Technology
- Amy Girdwood, Chief People & Culture Officer
- Ryan Gould, President, US Ad Sales GTM (reporting to Gerhard Zeiler)
- Anil Jhingan, Chief Development Officer
- Kasia Kieli, President and MD, Poland and CEO, TVN
- Fernando Medin, President, International
- Scott Miller, President, Distribution (reporting to Gerhard Zeiler)
- Fulvia Nicoli, Executive Vice President, Content Strategy & Insights (reporting to Gerhard Zeiler)
- Brian Rauch, Chief Accounting Officer (reporting to Frasier Woodford)
- Luis Silberwasser, Chairman and CEO, TNT Sports
- Mark Thompson, Chairman and CEO, CNN Worldwide
- Sue Underwald, Chief Legal Officer
- Bobby Voltagio, President, US AdSales and Platform Monetization (reporting to Gerhard Zeiler)
- Frasier Woodford, Chief Financial Officer
- Gerhard Zeiler, President, US, UK & Germany, Discovery+ and Chief Content Officer
Daffy Duck and Porky Pig in the Looney Tunes movie The Day The Earth Blew Up – YouTube, WB Kids
Campbell noted that Warner Bros. is still seeking a CFO and a Chief People & Culture Officer, but emphasized the lack of any DEI-specific roles for either company. This revelation aligns with broader trends in Hollywood and corporate America, where companies have been scaling back or rebranding DEI programs under political and economic pressures.
Are Warner Bros. and Discovery Global Ditching DEI?
The question of whether the newly separated Warner Bros. and Discovery Global are “ditching DEI” is timely, given the company’s history and recent actions.
WBD has indeed moved away from explicit DEI frameworks, a process that accelerated in early 2025 following the Trump administration’s crackdown on federal DEI policies.
Mr Terrific in Superman – YouTube, DC
In February 2025, WBD announced it was renaming its DEI group to focus solely on “Inclusion,” dropping references to “Diversity” and “Equity” in internal policies and communications. A staff memo from Head of HR Jennifer Remling and Chief Global Inclusion Officer Asif Sadiq stated that this change “better aligns our language with our focus throughout our company,” while reaffirming a commitment to an “inclusive team.” The company also ceased participating in third-party workplace diversity surveys and eliminated DEI-related hiring quotas, including questions about applicants’ race, gender, or ethnicity in many U.S. roles.
This shift was part of a larger Hollywood retreat from DEI, influenced by executive orders banning DEI in federal agencies and threats of investigations into corporate practices. Companies like Disney, Paramount, and Amazon similarly scaled back programs, with Paramount fully eliminating DEI initiatives by mid-2025, including in casting and supplier selection.
Lex Luthor in the trailer for James Gunn’s Superman – YouTube, DC
WBD’s actions built on earlier cuts. In 2023, it laid off Senior VP of North America DEI Karen Horne amid broader restructuring, and several major media firms (including WBD, Disney, and Netflix) lost key Black DEI leaders in a short span, raising questions about sustained commitment.
However, WBD’s stance hasn’t been a complete abandonment. As recently as 2024, Chief DEI Officer Asif Sadiq (who appears to have left or been reassigned by 2025, based on the absence in the new officer list) advocated strongly for DEI, even endorsing tactics to “excise” non-supporters from the company, such as ignoring or discriminating against them to encourage voluntary exits.
By 2025, evidence suggests a deliberate de-emphasis. WBD’s former DEI page (wbd.com/diversity-equity-inclusion) no longer exists.
The former site of the Warner Bros. Discovery DEI page – https://www.wbd.com/diversity-equity-inclusion
The new officer list’s omission of any DEI roles, combined with the split, indicates the separated companies may prioritize merit-based operations over formalized DEI structures. This mirrors actions at peers like PBS (which fired DEI execs in February 2025) and Goldman Sachs (ending board DEI policies.
Wall Street WAKES UP: Goldman Sachs ENDS board DEI policy. PBS too (how would THAT work???). Meta fires 4,000 DEI officers, citing “performance” (translation: DEI is DEAD) 📉
5/18 pic.twitter.com/SlBDc1Y51E
— Rod D. Martin (@RodDMartin) February 14, 2025
In summary, while WBD hasn’t explicitly “ditched” all inclusive practices, the renaming, cuts, and lack of dedicated officers in the new entities substantiate a significant retreat from DEI as a branded priority.
The WB logo before a Looney Tunes cartoon – YouTube, Public Domain Remastered
This could reflect cost-saving, legal risks from anti-DEI lawsuits, or alignment with shifting political winds—trends that have led to over 2,600 DEI job eliminations industry-wide since 2023. For Warner Bros. and Discovery Global, the split may herald a leaner, less ideologically charged era, but only time will reveal if this translates to creative or financial revival.
Do you think Warner Bros. and Discovery Global are ditching DEI? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
