DreamWorks drafts in DirecTV exec post reshuffle

DreamWorks Animation has appointed senior DirecTV executive Fazal Merchant as its new CFO following an internal shuffle.

Merchant (pictured) comes across from DirecTV Latin America, where he was senior VP and CFO, after Dreamwork’s previous financial chief Lew Coleman moved into a vice chairman role this month.

The appointment also follows that of ex-Disney exec Mark Zoradi as COO at the Glendale animation studio. He replaced Ann Daly, who was promoted to chairman simultaneously as Coleman took on his new post.

Merchant takes up his post on September 15. Before satcaster DirecTV, he was an investment banking director at Barclays Capital and also worked at car manufacturer Ford.

At the end of July, Jeffrey Katzenberg’s DreamWorks posted a quarterly loss of US$15.4 million and revenues down more than US$90 million year-on-year.

The film and TV studio has made a concerted push into television series in recent years, and currently has an ongoing production pact with on-demand service Netflix.