WarnerMedia has promoted Polly Cochrane (pictured) to country manager for WarnerMedia UK and Ireland, following the exit of the regional president and MD Josh Berger.

In her new role, Cochrane will oversee the development and execution of WarnerMedia’s commercial and group marketing strategies for theatrical distribution, content licensing, home entertainment, consumer products, ad sales and affiliate distribution for WarnerMedia channels including Cartoon Network. Although HBO Max sits outside of the WarnerMedia EMEA organization, Cochrane will also work closely with the streamer alongside WarnerMedia’s executive leadership team in EMEA.

Cochrane now reports directly to Priya Dogra, WarnerMedia’s president of Entertainment Networks for EMEA and APAC (excluding China). Her promotion marks Dogra’s first major exec announcement since she replaced Giorgio Stock as president in July. 

Cochrane will also liaise with Lesley Bailey and Cecilia Persson, who continue to lead WarnerMedia’s central EMEA kids and young adults team. They both now report to Dogra and Tom Ascheim, the media giant’s president of kids, young adults and classics.

Cochrane joined WarnerMedia in 2009, and most recently served as EVP and group marketing director for the UK and Ireland, and chief marketing officer for Harry Potter Global Franchise Development.

Her promotion follows news that 30-year WarnerMedia vet Josh Berger will step down as president and managing director of Warner Bros. UK, Ireland and Spain, and president of Harry Potter Global Franchise Development, in December. Berger will stay on as an advisor to senior management until mid-2021 for the Harry Potter franchise, as well as serving as an executive producer on the third instalment of the Fantastic Beasts movie franchise and forthcoming BBC doc Fantastic Beasts: A Natural History.

This latest exec shuffle follows yesterday’s news that Tom Ascheim was assuming programming responsibilities for kids and family for HBO Max.