Exclusive: Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios, is changing the responsibilities of two senior executives, VP and Global Head of Sports and Advertising Jay Marine and VP Prime Video Us Albert Cheng. Hopkins announced the restructuring in a company memo. A copy of it was obtained by deadline.
The roles of Marin and Chen take over Chen's responsibility to oversee the Prime Video business in the US, and are integrated with the promotion of the Marine Corps. The platform focuses on becoming the ultimate bundle by adding carriages for other networks and streamers, which means PV subscriptions are included. Marine also continues to lead the company's global sports and advertising operations.
Albert will take on a new role “leading investments in creating new tools for creative partners that leverage the power of AI.” Hopkins said in his notes. “Alongside the studio's technical team, Albert will lead the creation of content, focusing on empowering the best filmmakers and showrunners to do the most innovative work in AI, and in doing so, creating even higher quality content for our customers.”
Hopkins teased upcoming progress reports on Chen's team and the initiative he called “an opportunity to push boundaries in areas that leverage Amazon's size and technical leadership, and do it in ways that could provide a whole new kind of storytelling to its customers.”
Marine and Cheng will move into new roles over the coming weeks, Hopkins said.
In his note, Hopkins discussed the driving forces for executive change, noting that they were working on priorities in two key areas: Andy Jassy, president and CEO of Amazon, and he was talking about focusing.
“One of these areas is the structure of our teams, especially the need to create a single thread leader where we can push down on our bigger roles, flatter organizations and decision-making and all of us can move faster,” Hopkins said. “The second is the speed of lightning that augments and accelerates the way we work and guides new opportunities to create and distribute the entertainment and sports our customers love.”
AI is a major focus for high-tech and media companies, with the latter increasingly hiring senior executives to lead efforts in rapidly growing sectors. Streamers already employ AI in a variety of areas, including dubbing.
Former Disney ABC TV Group digital executive Cheng has played a variety of roles for Amazon MGM Studios/Prime Video, including COO for 10 years.
Amazon veteran Marin has been overseeing the company's sports since 2022. He increased the platform's sports rights and recently added the NBA to his existing portfolio, including the NFL and WNBA.
Here is Hopkins' note:
team,
Over the next few weeks, we will make changes to the scope of two members of our leadership team. I wanted to share some details with you all in advance. I've heard recently that both Andy and me are talking about two important areas of driving shifts the way we work.
One of those areas is the structure of our team. In particular, the need for us to create a single thread leader where we can push down on our bigger roles, flatter organizations, and decision-making to allow us all to move faster.
Second, the speed of lightning is guiding new opportunities for AI to augment and accelerate the way we work and create and distribute the entertainment and sports our customers love.
With that in mind, Jay Marin and Albert Chen assume a new leadership role, each of whom will address these priorities. Put us in an even stronger position to deliver faster for our customers. And you can get even more strategic about important bets you make in the AI space.Jay – our VP and global head of sports and advertising – will be added to the job surveillance of the US Prime Video Business, including a balance between PV subscription and the Albert organization. By placing the full PV business under a single-threaded leader, including sports and advertising (Ji continues to lead on a global basis), these teams can go faster and more collaboratively.
As part of this transition, Jay will spend time with the PV US leadership team to map the most thoughtful organizational structures to come, working closely with Albert to make this leadership transition as seamless as possible.Albert will take on a new role in leading investments in creating new tools for creative partners that leverage the power of AI. Alongside the Studios Tech team, Albert leads the creation of content, focusing on empowering the best filmmakers and showrunners to do the most innovative work in AI, and in doing so, creating even more quality content for their customers.
As we progress, we will share more about this initiative and its team structure, which is clearly an opportunity to push boundaries in areas that utilize Amazon's size and technical leadership.
Albert and Jay will be moving into these new roles over the coming weeks and sharing more on both sides as they begin conversations with their new team. Thank you for your continued work. Congratulate Albert and Jay on their new roles.
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