Paramount Taps Roku Vet Jay Askinasi As Chief Revenue Officer

Roku ad sales chief Jay Askinasi has been appointed as Paramount‘s Chief Revenue Officer, in the latest executive shuffle by the media company in the wake of its merger with Skydance.

John Halley, a longtime ex-Viacom exec who was elevated to lead ad sales for Paramount soon after the merger of CBS and Viacom, is still with the company, according to a person familiar with the new hire. The chief revenue officer role, which Askinasi will occupy as of November 3, is a new one.

In announcing Askinasi’s hiring, Paramount said it is designed to help it evolve into a “next-generation media company.” In leading the ad sales team, he will collaborate with product teams on data-driven initiatives, cultivating partnerships and driving the shift toward a unified ad platform.

During his tenure at Roku, Askinasi led ad sales, including the entire go-to-market group within the streaming giant, helping to oversee enterprise partnerships, platform monetization and other activities. Prior to Roku, he was CEO of Publicis Media Exchange U.S., steering media investment strategy for the holding company and its brands. In addition to his role at Publicis, Askinasi led agency and platform partnerships for AT&T and was president of mobile-focused programmatic ad tech firm Run.

Jeff Shell, President of Paramount, said Askinasi “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.”

Askinasi said he looks forward to helping to shape a digital moneti “This is a pivotal moment of transformation for the industry, and Paramount is clearly positioning itself at the forefront of that change. I’m excited to help shape – while preserving the creative excellence and cultural influence that define Paramount’s iconic content.”