Warner Bros. names Ann Sarnoff as its first woman chair and CEO

For the first time in the history of Warner Bros., a woman will be the head of the studio; Ann Sarnoff was named chair and CEO on Monday. Sarnoff is currently the president of BBC Studios Americas and has previously been an executive at Viacom, the Dow Jones and with the Women's National Basketball Association.

"I am delighted Ann is joining the WarnerMedia team and excited to work side by side with such a talented and accomplished individual," said John Stankey, WarnerMedia chief executive said in a press release. "She brings a consistent and proven track record of innovation, creativity and business results to lead an incredibly successful studio to its next chapter of growth."

The previous chairman and CEO at Warner Bros. was Kevin Tsujihara, who stepped down in March after misconduct allegations. Tsujihara departed following the claims that he promised roles to an actress with whom he was having an affair. Tsujihara, whose attorney denied that Tsujihara had any direct role in the woman's hiring, said he was departing to avoid being a distraction.

For the meantime, Warner Bros. will be headed by an interim team and Sarnoff will "join the company later this summer," WarnerMedia said in a press release.

"Ann has shown the ability to innovate and grow revenues and has embraced the evolution taking place in our industry. I am confident she will be a great cultural fit for WarnerMedia and that our employees will embrace her leadership, enthusiasm and passion for our business," said Stankey.