WBD reveals Nordic exec team, with Discovery alum taking key content role amid departures

Christina Sulebakk

Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) has unveiled its senior leadership team in the Nordics, with a former Discovery exec taking one of the top content roles in the region.

Pil Gundelach Brandstrup, the former DR exec who joined Discovery from Fox in 2020, is taking on responsibility for content and planning across the Nordics, in addition to oversee programming for Denmark.

She reports in to Christina Sulebakk, who was appointed GM of Nordics in May. Brandstrup was recently behind the commissioning of Grand Canyon – The Greatest Adventure, a new reality series destined for streamer Discovery+ and broadcaster Kanal 5 in Denmark, with Banijay Nordic label Pineapple Entertainment producing.

Magnus Vatn, Axel Eriksson and Katja Santala will continue as country content leads, with Lina Friman continuing to head up planning, reporting to Brandstrup.

Elsewhere, Roni Patel will be responsible for content licensing and Jesper Steenberg will oversee the new consolidated distribution team, while Kasper Kryger will be responsible for ad sales.

Grand Canyon Big Adventure

Tore Fredrik Dreyer will head up distribution for theatrical, games and home entertainment, Jessie Ross Skarvad will be responsible for marketing and publicity of theatrical, games and home entertainment; and Francois Simonetta oversees consumer products for the region.

Morten Johannessen will continue to oversee the sports operation across the Nordics, while a head of finance, operations, research and insights will be appointed shortly, as well as legal, people and culture, and corporate comms execs.

Departures

A handful of exiting staff have also been confirmed, with Sanny Ekstrand, SVP of operations and Johan Mannerhill, GM of Nordics for home entertainment & games, both leaving the company.

Ekstrand had been with the firm for two years while Mannerhill departs after a decade, having previously worked at Warner Bros. prior to its merger with Discovery.

Warner Bros.’s VP of marketing, Rebecca Rørmark, is also leaving to explore new opportunities but will be working across the Discovery channel portfolio and trade marketing for HBO Max during a transition period.

The reshuffle is the latest regional rejig for WBD’s international business, which is in the process of making deep staff cuts across Europe, as revealed by TBI, while also pulling original production from regions including the Nordics. As part of those changes, Christian Wikander, VP & commissioning editor for originals is leaving.

Sulebakk said: “In the past few months, I have had the pleasure of meeting so many talented people, and I am confident that WBD will grow into an even stronger corporation in the years ahead.

“The potential is extremely exciting and today I am happy to announce the leadership team that will support me in delivering continued growth for WBD in the Nordics.”