As usual once than any major corporate incorporation, WWE laid off some employees. Messages left for a WWE spokesperson were not returned. PWInsider reports that the company shining staff from its Stamford headquarters Friday. Among those who got the ax were members of the Insights & Analytics department, sponsorship and more.
1. Andy Levine
Earlier this week, it was reported that WWE Layoffs had begun to lay off employees at its headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut. Pink slips were reportedly on high happening for the WWE offices, and it was estimated that later more 100 positions could be eliminated as portion of the companys join up when UFC into TKO Group Holdings.
According to PWInsider, the WWE Network and Podcasting departments were the hardest hit as far and wide-off as cuts go. One of the most prominent names to be let go was Andrew Levine, who served as the companys Vice President of International and Platform Strategy. Levine allied the company in 2018 and worked closely following departments such as publicity, situation operations, and content go to the front. Levine was a popular figure amid WWE employees and fans, and his departure will every be felt throughout the handing out. In a assertion, WWE referred to his distinguished assist, and noted that it was saddened by the loss of such an important devotee of their team.
While a round of corporate layoffs arent jarring, it is unfortunate that they are occurring during the coronavirus pandemic. Especially in the prosecution of WWE, where the accretion layoffs send a declaration to fans that the company doesnt value its workers as much as it values its gathering price. In adviser to the loss of Dana Warrior and Digital Campaign Manager Alexa Gotthardt, WWE backstage interviewer McKenzie Mitchell in addition to took to social media to believe to be that she was being released from the company. These are just the latest in a series of layoffs that have been instituted by now the mixture taking into account UFC. It is believed that on peak of 100 people have been laid off as of Friday.
2. Dana Warrior
The widow of late WWE Hall of Famer Ultimate Warrior, Dana was one of many employees laid off by the company Friday. She reportedly worked in creative by now her light. WWE was reportedly shedding jobs in various departments to graze costs in the by now the mixture when UFC and Endeavor’s acquisition.
Employees were told to feign from burning roughly Friday due to the layoffs. When they returned to the office concerning the subject of Monday, PWInsider reported that “to proclaim morale is decimated would be an understatement.” In late growth to the dozens of execs consent to go, a number of writers have furthermore been released by WWE. PWInsider reports that following more 100 WWE corporate staff members were hit subsequent to pink slips, subsequent to the network and podcasting divisions live thing particularly hard-hit.
The site lists several of the departed workers, including Alexa Gotthardt, who was a Digital Campaign Manager, and Saverio Brighina, who was the Affiliate Marketing Manager for the WWE Network. Another high-level employee reportedly to be permit go was Andy Levine, who served as the VP of International and Platform Strategy. PWInsider explanation that Bloom was a significant loss for the tech side of the matter, as she meant and built “the foundational content data model for navigation and discovery around the WWE Network.” It moreover noted that she’s known for her deep knowledge of the archives of wrestling. The article states that she’s currently looking for appendage employment.
3. Amanda Bloom
As conventional, WWE laid off more employees from its corporate headquarters a propos Friday. Brandon Thurston from Wrestlenomics and Sean Ross Sapp from Fightful have both reported that in the song of more 100 employees customary their pink slips. This continues a trend that started in front the company barbed far along than 100 employees in September. These layoffs are in parentage as soon as the endeavor that was laid out as soon as the blend of WWE and UFC was announced.
Specifically, the WWE corporate team has been impacted as the company looks to save upon costs in merged departments. This includes the finance, sales and partnerships, human intimates, and production teams. Those affected by these layoffs will likely be moved to added positions within the company to make unwavering that the situation continues to control expertly. According to PWInsider, the company has in addition to allocate go of some employees from its marketing department. This included Brand Director Kimberly Kirkegard and Affiliate Marketing Manager Saverio Brighina. In adviser, the company has clip someone from its international and platform strategy role. It is unnamed who this was but it could be a high-ranking credited.
Another person that was released from the company upon Friday was Amanda Bloom. She worked in creative from 2019 to 2022. She was portion of the team that produced SmackDown in New York. As back noted, several WWE employees have claimed that the layoffs wouldnt have happened if Stephanie McMahon was yet past the company. Many of the employees have qualified her following improving morale in the company. She has furthermore helped the womens disaffection as she has been a major futuristic for them in the appendix. It is unclear if she was affected by the layoffs from Friday.
4. Catherine Newman
With WWE entering a totaling times in 2023, it’s not a stretch to publicize that some employees will be share of the company’s neighboring chapter in a every another quirk. As noted by PWInsider, rumors of layoffs have percolated upon wrestling-focused websites on severity of the behind few weeks and, as of Friday, there may be upwards of 100 WWE employees getting their pink slips. While WWE has made no qualified flyer upon the situation, the rumor mill is active that dozens of jobs are alive thing eliminated from the Stamford-based company following the realization of its mix following UFC. The company is looking to clip costs in the wake of the commencement of TKO Group Holdings and, as such, is eliminating positions that duplicate others already within the newly created corporate structure.
Among those reportedly bodily released are the likes of Director of Enterprise Master Data & Governance Catherine Newman and Managing Editor for WWE Network, Podcasting & Marketing Amanda Bloom. Additionally, a number of employees in the company’s Insights & Analytics department have been allocate go as dexterously. On intensity of that, long-period NXT backstage interviewer McKenzie Mitchell took to social media upon Friday and revealed that she was after that physical released.
It’s worth noting that the last round of layoffs occurred in September behind the qualified oppressive of the TKO join up and saw on peak of 100 people acquire their pink slips, including several names from the hard worker roster and several from the corporate side of things. Those cuts were made in areas such as finance, the sales and partnerships team, human associates, and more. With the fade away of DVDs looming, it wouldn’t be surprising to see more corporate-side layoffs happen in the coming months as competently.
5. Jamie Horowitz
Horowitz, a media veteran, brings WWE an updated outlook of view upon how the brand connects once fans. In his supplementary role, Horowitz will be era-fortunate to concern content for both network and digital initiatives. He will oversee the magnify of native network programming, as competently as all of WWEs social and off-platform platforms. Horowitzs background includes serving as DAZNs EVP of content, where he similar taking into account Sylvester Stallone to fabricate documentary content and licensing the nimbly-liked Pat McAfee feat.
Conclusion
It was reported that collective departments at WWE were impacted by the layoffs, considering the marketing department creature hit mixture. Catherine Newman, Executive Vice President and Head of Marketing, was in the midst of those who were allocate go. According to PWInsider, the Insights & Analytics team were absolutely ripped apart, gone unaccompanied three people remaining in that disaffection. Amanda Bloom, Director of Enterprise Master Data & Governance, was also shining. She cutting edge posted upon LinkedIn that she was upon the WWE/TKO list nobody wanted to be upon today and hoped her colleagues would assist her avow a count job.
PWInsider explanation that Horowitz is leaving astern in imitation of WWE upon delightful terms, and the two have remained muggy relatives. He will be resuming play a role at Omaha Production, which he co-founded as soon as Peyton Manning in 2020. The company recently won a Sports Emmy for the dexterously-liked ManningCast and has a value of $400 million after Peter Chernins North Road invested $10 million earlier this year. This marks the second round of layoffs back WWEs incorporation once UFC, and more are likely upon the horizon. As noted, this is a common practice in any corporate seizure or combination. However, its important to recall that none of these employees were facility and that the cuts were not related to a potential roster fiddle behind.
