Toms Yankelevich, EVP and chief content officer of general entertainment for Latin America and U.S. Hispanic at Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), has opted to leave the company by the end of June to pursue new professional endeavors. Fernando Medin, president of WBD Latin America and U.S. Hispanic, has tapped industry vet Mariano Cesar to replace him.
Cesar, who joined the pay TV industry some 30 years ago, was at the helm of such renowned brands as Uniseries, Retro, I.Sat, Space, TNT, TNT Series and Warner Channel. He was named head of programming and strategic content at HBO Max when it launched in 2021, adding the HBO channel portfolio and, more recently, Discovery+ to his duties.
It was a privilege to lead this team for the past six years and to work with amazing professionals who share the same passion: entertaining audiences with thrilling stories, Yankelevich said, adding, As I close this cycle and start a new phase in my career, I have the satisfaction of knowing that we reached our goals and that I am leaving in place a team made up of outstanding and committed human beings.
Yankelevich led the general entertainment content teams for WBDs brands in Latin America, including the HBO Max and Discovery+ (in Brazil) streaming platforms and the HBO, TNT, Warner Channel, Space, and, most recently, Discovery Channel and Home Health pay TV channels, among others.
From Miami, he led the launch of HBO Max in Latin America, the creation of a hub for the development and production of local original titles, the founding of Particular Crowd movie studio (now independently managed), the launch and expansion of TNT Sports and the consolidation of the companys group of pay TV brands.
Medin, who welcomed Cesar for his keen strategic and creative abilities, also said of Yankelevich: I am very grateful to Toms for his successful leadership of our content and production teams and, most of all, for having created such a solid group of professionals.
Yankelevichs resignation comes at a time of upheaval at WBD after the merger of both companies. Faced with a massive debt load, it has been restructuring the company with layoffs and content write-offs.
Connecting with audiences through the power of our stories and the diversity of our brands is an extraordinary challenge, said Cesar, who added, I am grateful to Fernando [Medin] for the confidence he has shown in me at this important juncture in Warner Bros. Discoverys trajectory.