Paramount Global says its top executive in charge of the company’s international divisions has been placed on leave, effective immediately.
No reason was given as to why Raffaele Annecchino was taking a leave of absence from the company, though Paramount Global said three other executives had been elevated to cover for Annecchino during his period of leave.
Annecchino was in charge of leading Paramount Global’s international expansion efforts for its premium flagship streaming service Paramount Plus and the free, ad-supported streamer Pluto TV. He also oversaw various overseas networks, including Channel 5 in the United Kingdom and Network Ten in Australia.
He was tapped by Paramount Global Chief Executive Officer Robert Bakish to serve in the executive role in 2020 when the company was still known as ViacomCBS.
Annecchino was based in Spain and reported directly to Bakish. The two men had a good rapport until recently, according to numerous reports published this week.
