Who Is Ann Sarnoff? Meet The History-Making New CEO Of Warner Bros.

Warner Bros. is set to make company history with the appointment of its first female CEO, Ann Sarnoff.

Variety broke the story Monday that the nearly century-old film and media studio had chosen Sarnoff, the current president of BBC Studios Americas, to take over the position later in the summer. Sarnoff is inheriting the role from Kevin Tsujihara, who was forced to resign the position in March after revelations of an improper relationship with an actress.

Sarnoff enters Warner Bros. at one of the most pivotal moments in the company’s recent history. As the studio continues to integrate with its new parent company, AT&T, it is also working with WarnerMedia at large to create a new streaming service meant to compete globally with the likes of Netflix and Disney+.

Aside from that, Warner Bros. is also dealing with the need for stable and profitable franchises as the media landscape continues to change by the day. This need has been exacerbated by recent “LEGO,” “Godzilla,” and “Fantastic Beasts” films coming in well under expectations at the box office.

“It is a privilege to join a studio with such a storied history. Warner Bros. has been an industry leader for decades and is known for creating many of the most iconic film, television and gaming properties,” Sarnoff said. “I accept this position excited by the opportunity to work with the most accomplished executives and teams in media, and confident about carrying this incredible heritage forward with them.”

Sarnoff’s background includes executive positions within Dow Jones, the WNBA, and Viacom, the latter of which she worked for from 1993-2003. She joined the BBC in 2010 and eventually made her way to lead its global production division.

“I am delighted Ann is joining the WarnerMedia team and excited to work side by side with such a talented and accomplished individual. She brings a consistent and proven track record of innovation, creativity and business results to lead an incredibly successful studio to its next chapter of growth,” said WarnerMedia CEO John Stankey, whom Sarnoff will be reporting to in her new position.