WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar has filled the company’s long-vacant head of advertising sales post with Jean-Paul Colaco, a former Apple who worked with Kilar at Hulu and Vessel.
The head of ad sales post has been open since the departure of Donna Speciale more than a year ago. Since then, the company’s ad supported entertainment networks including TNT, TBS and truTV have taken a back seat as the company has focused on building its streaming platform HBO Max.
Colaco will pay a key role as HBO Max launches an AVOD offering next year.
Colaco will report to Tony Concalves, head of WarnerMedia’s commercial businesses, including ad sales, distribution, Otter Media, home entertainment and content licensing.
In the new set up, the WarnerMedia ad sales leadership team of Amit Chaturvedi, revenue operations and product management; Katrina Cukaj, ad sales strategy and network partnerships; Joe Hogan, sales and client partnerships; and Amy Leifer, operations and services, will report directly to Colaco.
“JP is a well-respected, proven leader who brings with him a fresh perspective about the connection between the customer journey and advanced advertising,” said Goncalves. “He understands our vision as a company - that in embracing moments of great change and taking risks, we can create a better customer experience around our brands. He joins a world-class team and together they will further strengthen WarnerMedia’s position as a leader in sales.”
At Apple, Colaco helped grow the company’s search ads business. At Hulu, where Kilar was CEO, annual sales rose from zero to 4500 million. He was responsible for business development at Vessel, a short-form video startup that was sold to Verizon in 2016.
“I am thrilled to be joining WarnerMedia, one of the best storytelling companies in the world with an unparalleled array of global brands and franchises,” Colaco said in a statement.
“It is humbling to be part of the team creating the next generation of advertising experiences alongside our incredible brand partners. We are in the midst of the next chapter of media transformation and advertising is a critical component to the fabric of the ecosystem. We have the opportunity to connect marketing messages to consumers, winning over their hearts and minds, in innovative ways that have never been done before,” he said. “I am excited to join this talented team and collectively build a customer-centric advertising experience delivering powerful and relevant brand messaging across platforms.”
