John Halley speaks at one of Paramount's New York upfront events Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for Paramount Share on Facebook Share on X Google Preferred Share to Flipboard Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Send an Email Print the Article Post a Comment Paramount ad sales chief John Halley is exiting the company after 17 years, a person with knowledge of the situation confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter. The writing has been on the wall since October when David Ellison hired Roku's Jay Askinasi as chief revenue officer. At the time, Ellison's president Jeff Shell said, "We are thrilled to welcome Jay to Paramount as our new Chief Revenue Officer. He brings a unique and highly relevant mix of experience across ad tech, platforms, data, agencies, and startups - all grounded in a deep understanding of the media and converged video landscape. Jay is widely respected for transforming underutilized assets and driving modern, digital-first commercial strategies. His leadership will be key as we accelerate growth and innovation across our business." Related Stories Business Paramount+ Becomes Official Partner of English Soccer Club Arsenal Movies Billie Eilish Concert Doc, Co-Directed With James Cameron, Headed to Theaters Via Paramount "This is a pivotal moment of transformation for the industry, and Paramount is clearly positioning itself at the forefront of that change," Askinasi said. "I'm excited to help shape a next-generation digital monetization engine - one that can stand alongside the biggest tech platforms - while preserving the creative excellence and cultural influence that define Paramount's iconic content." Askinasi's hiring signaled to Wall Street that Paramount Skydance would be taking a more tech-forward approach to advertising and revenue generation - that's the Ellison way. As for Halley, he'll stick around (sort of) as a consultant until March. Halley joined Viacom in 2007. Throughout the years (and mergers) he made Pluto TV a viable business and launched Paramount's EyeQ video-advertising platform. Ellison's acquisition of Paramount Global closed in August; he's already looking toward acquiring Warner Bros. Discovery as well. Variety first reported the news of Halley's exit. THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day Subscribe Sign Up united kingdom Paramount+ Becomes Official Partner of English Soccer Club Arsenal advertising Omnicom Closes $13 Billion Deal for IPG, Creating Advertising and Communications Giant THR, Esq OpenAI Loses Key Discovery Battle as It Cedes Ground to Authors in AI Lawsuits Paramount+ Reach vs. Profits: Streaming Black Friday Deals Suggest Entertainment Giants Still Split on Strategy YouTube TV TelevisaUnivision Channels Return to YouTube TV as Companies Strike Deal Blue Ant Media Blue Ant Media to Buy Thunderbird Entertainment in $63 Million Deal united kingdom Paramount+ Becomes Official Partner of English Soccer Club Arsenal advertising Omnicom Closes $13 Billion Deal for IPG, Creating Advertising and Communications Giant THR, Esq OpenAI Loses Key Discovery Battle as It Cedes Ground to Authors in AI Lawsuits Paramount+ Reach vs. Profits: Streaming Black Friday Deals Suggest Entertainment Giants Still Split on Strategy YouTube TV TelevisaUnivision Channels Return to YouTube TV as Companies Strike Deal Blue Ant Media Blue Ant Media to Buy Thunderbird Entertainment in $63 Million Deal