Ynon Kreiz, the Israeli-born former Mattel CEO, became Skydance co-CEO when Paramount closed its $110 billion Warner Bros. Discovery deal, CNBC reports.
Ynon Kreiz, the Israeli-born former chairman and CEO of Mattel, became co-CEO of Skydance on October 6, 2026, when Paramount Skydance closed its roughly $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. He runs day-to-day operations and integration alongside Chairman and CEO David Ellison, CNBC reported. The combined company includes CNN, CBS, HBO Max, Warner Bros. and Paramount Pictures.
What will Ynon Kreiz run at Skydance?
Ynon Kreiz is responsible for day-to-day management and integration of the combined Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery businesses, while David Ellison keeps long-term strategy, creative vision, technology and capital allocation. Paramount's announcement set that split, as CNBC reported.
| Role | Executive | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|
| Chairman and CEO | David Ellison | Long-term strategy, creative vision, technology, capital allocation |
| Co-CEO | Ynon Kreiz | Day-to-day operations and integration of the combined businesses |
The job carries hard targets. CNBC reported that the co-CEOs face a $6 billion cost-savings goal and $79 billion in debt. Under the settlement with 12 state attorneys general, the company will also set up an independent editorial board to oversee CNN and CBS News, Ynetnews reported.
What is Kreiz's track record at Mattel?
Kreiz led Mattel as chairman and CEO from 2018 to 2026, a period in which the company expanded Barbie and other brands into films, television and games. TheWrap credited him with a cost-cutting plan that turned Mattel around, but noted that Mattel's stock had fallen 15% over five years and closed at $16.05 on the Monday before the report, slightly above its level when he joined.
Before Mattel, Kreiz was chairman and CEO of Fox Kids Europe from 1997 to 2002, of Endemol from 2008 to 2011, and of Maker Studios from 2012 to 2016. Ynetnews reported that Maker Studios was sold to Disney for $500 million.
Where did Kreiz start in children's television?
Kreiz started in children's television at Fox Kids Europe, the channel he founded with Haim Saban in 1996, according to a World Screen interview. His published biography says Fox Kids operated pay TV channels in 54 countries in 17 languages, and that the Walt Disney Company acquired majority ownership in 2002.
That early record in children's brands and distribution connects to his Mattel years, when the work was turning toy franchises into films and series.
What is Kreiz's pay package?
Ynon Kreiz receives a $31.5 million signing bonus and at least $35.1 million a year in total compensation by 2027 under a five-year contract, Deadline reported from an SEC filing. Paramount's board approved the appointment before the filing.
How does Kreiz's role compare with Israeli media ownership?
Kreiz is an operating executive, not an owner, which separates his position from the family and billionaire ownership that Olam maps in Israeli television. At Skydance, Ellison keeps the ownership-level decisions on strategy and capital while Kreiz runs operations.
Olam's maps of Israeli media, Who Owns Israel's Media and The Israeli Television and Media Map, show the opposite pattern at home. There, owners such as Yitzchak Mirilashvili at Channel 14 and Patrick Drahi at i24NEWS hold the controlling stakes.
How is Kreiz connected to Israel?
Ynon Kreiz was born and raised in Israel, and Ynetnews quoted him saying he still consumes more news from Israel than from America. The Jewish Journal reported that he has spoken publicly about Israel and antisemitism.
Olam's earlier report on Hollywood figures who kept working with Israel argued that the boycott pressure around them was visible online but did not move the market. Kreiz now sits in a senior position in the industry that debate concerns.
What should readers watch next at Skydance?
Readers should watch four items at Skydance: the $6 billion savings target, the $79 billion debt load, the plan to merge Paramount+ and HBO Max into one platform, and the editorial board for CNN and CBS News. Briefs.co and Trader's Union both reported the streaming merger plan.
The Jewish Journal reported that Condé Nast CEO Roger Lynch succeeds Kreiz at Mattel, so Mattel's next results will also test the record Kreiz leaves behind. His Mattel record shows brand-building experience, and TheWrap's stock figure shows the results were mixed.
Where can readers follow Israel-linked media stories on Olam?
Olam covers media ownership and entertainment in its Israeli media, entertainment and gaming coverage.
How we report: Olam stories draw on public filings, company disclosures and named sources, checked by our editors. Read our methodology · Corrections
