Netflix Names Bela Bajaria as New Head of Global TV -- Update

By Joe Flint 

In a major overhaul at Netflix Inc., Bela Bajaria has been put in charge of global television and Cindy Holland, an architect of the streaming giant's original-content strategy, is leaving, the company said Tuesday.

In her new role, Ms. Bajaria will oversee all original series for Netflix around the globe. Ms. Bajaria, who joined Netflix in 2016, had previously been in charge of unscripted programming and international content, the latter of which has become a priority for Netflix over the past several years.

The restructuring of the unit leapfrogged Ms. Bajaria over Ms. Holland, who has been at Netflix for nearly 20 years and now finds herself without a job. Ms. Holland was instrumental in developing and greenlighting much of Netflix's original content, including shows such as "House of Cards," "Orange is the New Black" and "Stranger Things."

The departure of Ms. Holland is a stark reminder of the culture at Netflix, where even the most senior and acclaimed executives are often let go if management decides there is someone better suited for their job waiting in the wings.

In a memo to staff about the executive changes, the company simply said there was now no role for Ms. Holland, so she will leave in October.

The moves come just weeks after Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos became a co-chief executive of the company along with Reed Hastings. Mr. Sarandos wanted to put all of television under one executive similar to the way the company's film operations are run.

"Since becoming co-CEO, I've wanted to simplify the way our content teams operate--with one global film team led by Scott Stuber and one for TV, which will now be led by Bela Bajaria. Since joining Netflix in 2016, Bela has demonstrated her versatility and creativity--building out our unscripted team and helping to take our local language slate, which is increasingly important for our members, to the next level," Mr. Sarandos said in a memo.

The decision to jettison Ms. Holland, whose record was admired throughout the entertainment industry, stunned many in Hollywood.

"These kinds of changes are never easy, and I am enormously grateful to Cindy Holland for everything she has done over the last 18 years at Netflix," Mr. Sarandos said.

Ms. Holland couldn't be reached for comment. In a statement she said, she "loved every moment" at the company.

For Ms. Bajaria, the promotion caps a meteoric rise at the streaming service. She joined Netflix in 2016 after running Comcast Corp.'s Universal Television production arm, where among the shows she developed were the Netflix comedies "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" and "Master of None." Ms. Bajaria was recently approached by NBCUniversal for a senior programming role, people familiar with the matter said.

At Netflix, she was initially in charge of unscripted content, and then added international programming to her portfolio. The shows she played a role in guiding most recently include "You," "Unorthodox," and the Mexican thriller "Dark Desire." She also greenlit the popular dating show "Indian Matchmaking."

Write to Joe Flint at [e-mail]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

September 08, 2020 23:15 ET (03:15 GMT)

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