Paramount Global today named John Halley as president, Paramount Advertising, succeeding Jo Ann Ross, who in 30 years at CBS had risen to be the queen of TV ad sales.
ViacomCBS reorganized its ad sales team a month after Viacom and CBS combined and top sales executives from units including Pluto TV, Pop and Smithsonian Channel will be leaving the network. Jo Ann Ross, who had been with CBS before the merger and was given the top job at the combined company over Viacom’s Sean Moran, will continue to have former CBS executives David Lawenda, John Bogusz, Linda Rene, Dave Morris and Chris Simon reporting to her.
Five women now spearhead the ad strategies for the leading network groups that will control the lion’s share of the $70 billion TV ad business during this year’s annual upfront ad haggle. They talk about their long, hard road to the top.
