JP Richards, Warner Bros. co-president of worldwide marketing, is leaving the studio as part of ongoing restructuring efforts at WarnerMedia.
In a memo Tuesday, WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar informed the staff that numerous jobs would be cut in the coming days. Cuts are expected to affect 5-7% of the company’s workforce, which will result in thousands of layoffs. WarnerMedia has recently made sweeping changes to its corporate structure, placing a bigger emphasis on its newly launched streaming service HBO Max and streamlining other aspects of their entertainment business. WarnerMedia is owned by AT&T and houses Warner Bros., HBO and Turner Broadcasting channels including TBS, TNT and CNN.
“While I anticipate that organizationally, things will settle down materially in the weeks and months to come (we’ve worked hard to make this a process with a beginning, middle and an end), I don’t want to suggest that our future is static,” Kilar wrote in his note to staff. “Rather, our future is about inventing ever better ways to move the world through story … which entails embracing change. I have every confidence in this world class team to do just that.”
Richards, who was appointed co-president of worldwide marketing in 2019, was highly respected among staff for his collaborative nature. During his time at the studio, he led successful campaigns for “A Star Is Born,” “Joker,” “Aquaman,” “Fantastic Beasts,” “Crazy Rich Asians” and “Wonder Woman.” He joined the company in 2015 and was later promoted to executive vice president of worldwide marketing and chief data strategist. Prior to his stint at Warner Bros., Richards spent over a decade at Universal, eventually serving as senior vice president of digital marketing.