S&P Global Market Intelligence presents a weekly rundown of executive changes in the U.S. media and communications industries.
TOP STORIES
* Nancy Dubuc, who is stepping down as A+E Networks' president and CEO, is succeeding founder Shane Smith as CEO of VICE Media LLC, Multichannel News reported March 13, citing an internal memo. Dubuc, who joined A+E Networks as president and CEO in April 2013, is leaving the company, effective April 16. A+E Networks is a joint venture of Walt Disney Co.'s Disney-ABC Television Group and Hearst Corp.
* Disney has restructured its businesses into four segments in order to better capitalize on growth opportunities. The four segments are the newly formed Direct-to-Consumer and International; the combined Parks, Experiences and Consumer Products; Media Networks; and Studio Entertainment segments, the company said March 14. Disney tapped Chief Strategy Officer Kevin Mayer as chairman of the Direct-to-Consumer and International business segment. Bob Chapek, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, will head Disney's consumer products operations globally as chairman of the new Parks, Experiences and Consumer Products business segment. Senior Vice President Agnes Chu, who is joining the Direct-to-Consumer and International segment, will continue to oversee programming for the upcoming Disney-branded streaming service.
Media industry moves
* Shutterstock Inc. named David Petts chief revenue officer, Lou Weiss chief marketing officer and Lisa Nadler as chief human resources officer of the company. Petts recently was senior vice president of worldwide sales and customer success at ShoreTel Inc., while Weiss previously was president and chief marketing officer at Plated, the company said March 13. Before joining Shutterstock, Nadler was heading the HR function at Sotheby's.
* Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. unit Starz appointed Ameesh Paleja to the newly created position of chief technology officer, according to a March 9 news release. Paleja joins Starz from Atom Tickets LLC, a social movie ticketing platform where he served as CEO since 2014.
* Twitter Inc. promoted Parag Agrawal to chief technology officer of the company, Reuters reported March 8, citing a company update. Agrawal, who joined Twitter in 2011 as an ads engineer, succeeds Adam Messinger who left the microblogging service in December 2016.
* AutoWeb Inc. President and CEO Jeffrey Coats is stepping down, according to a March 8 news release. Coats will leave the company following the appointment of a new president and CEO in the coming months. Further, Kimberly Boren will resign as CFO of the company, effective April 12, to pursue another opportunity. Wesley Ozima, the company's senior vice president, controller since January 2017 and principal accounting officer since 2009, will serve as interim CFO until the company finds a permanent CFO. The development comes shortly after William Ferriolo's resignation as AutoWeb's executive vice president and COO.
Communications industry moves
* Surge Holdings Inc. named Brian Speck CFO of the company. Speck has 11 years of experience in the public accounting sector, the company said March 13.
* Globalstar Inc. created a newly formed division, called Globalstar Automotive, to support future connected and autonomous vehicles and intelligent transport, according to a March 12 news release. The company tapped Greg Ewert to head its automotive initiatives.
* NII Holdings Inc.'s board approved an organizational restructuring of the company to further streamline expenses by shifting the costs and associated responsibilities from its headquarters in Reston, Va., to its operating subsidiary in Brazil. In connection with this restructuring, the board approved a form of separation and release agreement for the company's CFO, Daniel Freiman, and general counsel Shana Smith. The board on March 6 updated the agreements with Freiman and Smith to provide for a target termination date of April 1, 2019.
