HBO & HBO Max Merge Production & Business Affairs Teams; Janet Graham Borba & Susanna Felleman Promoted, Sandra Dewey & Pat Kelly To Exit

Peter White
·3 min read

The production and business affairs teams at HBO and HBO Max are being merged as the WarnerMedia streamlines operations between the cable network and streamer.

The move will see a number of staff changes across the teams. HBO execs Janet Graham Borba and Susanna Felleman are gaining expanded roles and HBO Max and Turner execs Sandra Dewey and Pat Kelly are leaving.

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The streamlining, under Casey Bloys, Chief Content Officer for HBO and HBO Max, will see one single in-house production team and a single business affairs operation across the two platforms.

Graham Borba, who has been at HBO since 1995, becomes EVP, Production for HBO and HBO Max. She has overseen shows including Game of Thrones and became the head of HBO’s Production Department, with oversight of Los Angeles and New York-based production, post-production, and production operations team in 2016.

Felleman, who has been with the company for 15 years, becomes EVP, Business Affairs for HBO and HBO Max. Since 2016, she has led the team overseeing general business affairs, labor relations, and residuals and participations. She previously worked in HBO’s legal department.

Glenn Whitehead, President, Business Affairs and Production, HBO and HBO Max, to whom Borba and Felleman both report, said “As HBO Max moves toward the same in-house production model that’s been the heart of the HBO programming line-up for the past many years, it’s become clear that we need greater consistency across the business and production practices of HBO and HBO Max. I’ve worked with Janet and Susanna for many years and know that they’ll be brilliant at leading these combined teams as we continue to program HBO and HBO Max with premier original content and harness the combined mastery of these Production and Business Affairs teams to build out the HBO Max streaming service.”

Departing are Sandra Dewey, President, Business Operations and Production for HBO Max, TBS, TNT, truTV and Pat Kelly, Executive Vice President, Business Affairs.

Dewey has been at HBO for over 20 years and the company said that she played a “foundational” role in the conception and creation of HBO Max, establishing business models, policy and process for Max originals. She also oversaw the business side of the TBS, TNT and truTV networks.

Kelly headed the HBO Max Business Affairs team under Dewey’s leadership, and during his 19 years at the company, oversaw day-to-day deal making for original series, co-productions, international distribution and worldwide home video, as well as business affairs for such specials as the AFI Life Achievement Award and advertiser-supported initiatives. He will stay on for a period of time to assist with the transition.

Whitehead added, “Sandra and Pat have both made invaluable contributions to the company throughout their tenures, and we owe them a huge debt of gratitude. They’re outstanding colleagues, and we wish them all the best in their future endeavors.”

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