TelevisaUnivision will be undergoing layoffs as part of a restructuring plan of its executive team, TheWrap has learned.
CEO Daniel Alegre said the move was “aimed at strengthening our position for 2025 and beyond” in a memo to staff, further noting that he wanted the Spanish-language media giant to transition to working more closely with clients. “Our partners’ needs are evolving, and we must serve them in ways no one else can in the market,” Alegre wrote.
The restructuring will impact a mid-high single digit percentage of the workforce, an insider familiar with the matter told TheWrap.
In the memo, the CEO announced Jesús Lara, the company’s Head of Local in the U.S., decided to leave the organization. That departure influenced the decision to reorganize the company’s U.S. local teams. Moving forward, U.S. advertising sales will fall under Donna Speciale, and Ignacio Meyer will oversee U.S. Audio and Local Programming. This is in addition to Meyer’s current role managing U.S. Linear Programming. Speciale and Meyer will communicate separately with the U.S. local teams.
“I want to express my deepest gratitude to Jesús Lara for his dedication, vision and contributions to TelevisaUnivision over the past eight years,” Alegre wrote. “He will work closely with Donna and Ignacio to ensure a smooth transition for the teams joining their organizations.”
On the content side, José Luis Fabila will lead strategy efforts and will create a newly formed Global Content Organization. Meyer will work closely with Fabila and will report to him. Additional team members who will report to Fabila include Rafael Urbina, who will oversee digital and streaming operations, performance marketing and CRM; and Olek Loewenstein, who will continue to lead the sports business unit.
“While these decisions are never easy, we are committed to supporting everyone through their transition,” Alegre concluded in his memo. “I understand that this will be a challenging week, but I ask for your focus and resilience as we take these important steps toward a stronger and more connected future.”
This restructuring isn’t unexpected. In October, Alegre stated that the “next phase” of TelevisaUnivision will focus on “further integration and operational optimization” during the company’s third quarter earning report. The CEO highlighted that he was prioritizing integrating these two legacy companies, evolving into a “platform-agnostic,” content-first company while capitalizing on the “unique access point” the corporation has to its Hispanic consumers.
At that time, Alegre revealed TelevisaUnivision was conducting a review of its investments and operations so it could “streamline and optimize resources.”
Variety was the first to report this story.
