Johanna Fuentes Departs As Head of Global Communications Studios & Networks Group At Warner Bros. Discovery

Nellie Andreeva
·3 min read

Warner Bros. Discovery’s Johanna Fuentes is leaving as Head of Global Communications for Studios and Networks Group after a transitional period. The departure is a result of a decision to decentralize the communications functions of the recently formed Warner Bros. Discovery whose communications teams will be announced later.

Fuentes, a seasoned PR executives who previously headed corporate communications for Showtime Networks, started with Warner Bros. in May 2020 as EVP Worldwide Corporate Communications. Three months later, upon the founding of the WarnerMedia Studios and Networks Group, she was elevated to Head of Global Communications for the group.

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In her role, she navigated major divisional realignments, key executive changes, talent deals, the launch of day-and-date theatrical releases across Warner Bros. Pictures and HBO Max, and the introduction of new business models. Additionally, she led the Studios and Networks Group’s internal and external messaging related to the pandemic.

Fuentes was hired by and worked closely with former Warner Bros. CEO Ann Sarnoff (later CEO of Studios and Networks), who stepped down after the Discovery merger was completed last month. She then dual reported to Christy Haubegger, Chief Enterprise Inclusion Officer and Head of Communications, at WarnerMedia.

The new Warner Bros. Discovery leadership has a target of $3B in cost savings from combining the two companies.

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Fuentes’ purview included oversight of the communications function of all content teams across the Studios and Networks Group, including the Warner Bros. Pictures Group, HBO and HBO Max, the Warner Bros. Television Group, DC, kids/young adults/classics (Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Boomerang, Turner Classic Movies, Cartoon Network Studios, WB Animation), TBS, TNT, truTV, Wizarding World, consumer products, studio operations, brand and experiences and gaming. She also served as the primary communications liaison between the content divisions and parent company WarnerMedia and AT&T.

She championed the company’s equity and inclusion efforts across the Studios and Networks Group, and worked with that EI team and other business functions to ensure the Studios and Networks Group’s content, messaging, outreach and talent partners continue to evolve to make the company reflective and representative of the global audience it serves.

Fuentes joined Warner Bros. after a decade at Showtime Networks, where she served as EVP, Communications, working with the Showtime Networks, Pop TV and Smithsonian Channel. She managed all programming publicity, corporate and business press outreach, media and talent relations in support of Showtime original series, documentaries and specials, along with awards, film festivals, events, photography, sports, philanthropy and corporate branding. She led the communications strategy for the company’s over-the-top streaming service and also served as the company’s communications liaison with parent companies CBS Corporation and ViacomCBS.

Before that, Fuentes led communications for Bravo, overseeing the network’s nationwide PR staff. She also spent six years at CBS Entertainment in New York managing publicity campaigns for a variety of original series, movies and specials for CBS and UPN.

Fuentes has been honored as one of The Imagen Foundation’s Most Powerful and Influential Latinos in the Entertainment Industry since 2012. In fall 2019, she was officially inducted as part of the Hall of Fame of Imagen’s Powerful and Influential Latinos in Television & Film.

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