WarnerMedia names Otter Media CEO to oversee HBO Max design

WarnerMedia has outlined the leadership team that will develop the non-content side of its forthcoming streamer HBO Max, with two Otter Media execs appointed to key roles.

The team will be led by Otter CEO Tony Goncalves, who will report to WarnerMedia chairman Robert Greenblatt, and is responsible for areas including product design, customer experience and lifecycle, as well as customer data and business development.

Andy Forssell is charged with HBO Max operations in the role of EVP and general manager of WarnerMedia direct-to-consumer. Reporting to Goncalves, Forssell most recently was COO of Otter, which was formed by Peter Chernin and AT&T in 2014.

Bob Greenblatt

Forssell has previously held a variety of CEO and general management roles at companies including Hulu, Fullscreen and ShowYou.

The new exec team, reporting to Forssell, is made up of: DirecTV digital media veteran Sarah Lyons, SVP of product experience; global media and tech marketer Katie Soo, SVP growth marketing; former Warner Bros. research and analytics expert Keith Camoosa, SVP of data insights and operations; Jess Miller, VP of project management; and Crunchyroll business intelligence veteran Reid DeRamus as senior director of business operations.

Greenblatt said: “With Tony Goncalves, Andy Forssell and their experienced leadership teams, we are now well-positioned to deliver a best-in-class customer experience and go-to-market strategy that positions HBO Max for real success.

“Combined with our stellar content teams, I’m thrilled with the level of expertise we have across this entire business.”

HBO Max is scheduled to launch in spring of 2020 with 10,000 hours of premium content, though pricing has not yet been announced.