Ynon Kreiz, the Intense CEO Who Thrives With His Back Against the Wall, Takes the Helm at Paramount–Warner Bros.
The Hollywood Reporter on October 12 profiled Ynon Kreiz, the newly installed co-CEO of the combined Paramount–Warner Bros. Discovery company alongside David Ellison, describing him as an intense executive who thrives when his back is against the wall.
Born in Israel, Kreiz earned a bachelor's degree from Tel Aviv University and an MBA from UCLA Anderson. He co-founded Fox Kids Europe with Haim Saban, later sold to Disney; chaired Endemol Group, home to "Big Brother" and "Deal or No Deal"; and led Maker Studios, the YouTube network Disney acquired in 2014. Taking over a struggling Mattel in 2018, he cut costs, leaned into the toymaker's IP and drove "Barbie" to the big screen in 2023; TIME named him to its 100 Most Influential People list in 2024. He is also known for 4:30 a.m. kiteboarding sessions and has said he relishes stepping into complicated situations.
Kreiz leaves Mattel — where Barbie sales recently fell 16 percent even as Hot Wheels grew — to former Condé Nast CEO Roger Lynch. Analysts are split on the appointment: some praise his operating and brand experience as ideal for integrating two studios, while others see him functioning more like a chief operating officer under Ellison's strategic lead. Either way, he faces one of the largest integration tasks in Hollywood history.
(Source: The Hollywood Reporter; CNN)
Source: The Hollywood Reporter; CNN
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 伊农·克雷兹资料照片（Wikimedia Commons，CC BY-SA 2.0）
