Jay Levine is leaving his post as the Chief Strategy Officer and EVP Business Operations of Warner Bros. The well-liked executive worked 13 years for the studio before his position was diminished following the studio’s merger with Discovery.The highly-respected studio veteran rose quickly through the ranks to join the corporate suite under Barry Meyer and Kevin Tsujihara to become the top executive under Ann Sarnoff. Levine led strategy and operations for WarnerMedia Studios and Networks Group, which included WB Pictures Group, HBO, and HBO Max Programming, WB Television Group, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, WB Animation, TBS, TNT, DC, Consumer Products, Global Brands & Experiences, and other traditional and digital content businesses.Levine worked closely with all of the main creative divisions, having partnered with Toby Emmerich at WB Pictures, Casey Bloys at HBO & HBO Max and Channing Dungey at WBTV in development, production, finance, business affairs, marketing, and distribution.Levine also oversaw the corporate business development and strategy group that led all mergers and acquisitions, strategic investments and divestitures for the studios and networks group, including the 2021 sale of TMZ to Fox. He was responsible for overseeing new digital partnerships with key talent (including Lebron James, Maverick Carter and Ellen DeGeneres) and developed new formats of storytelling and next-generation content businesses leveraging WB brands and IP (such as VR and NFTs). In addition, Levine managed WB’s interest in The CW Network and served on its board for the past four years.Over the last two years, Levine took over responsibility of the Worldwide Studio Operations Group that operates all production and post-production facilities, as well as the company’s owned and operated tours and retail experiences, in Burbank and the UK’s Leavesden. Under Levine, the group unveiled the immersive flagship retail experience Harry Potter New York, built the world’s largest virtual production facility at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden and re-opened the all-new Tour Center on the Burbank lot.Before joining Warner Bros. TV Group in 2009, Levine worked at The Walt Disney Company in its Corporate Strategy and Business Development Group and at ESPN. A graduate of University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, Levine began his career at Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc.
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