“With the pending transaction with Discovery nearing close, now is the right time to share with each of you that I will be departing this amazing company,” Kilar told employees in an internal memo.
Kilar’s departure is no surprise. It was widely suspected that he would exit WarnerMedia, CNN’s parent company, after the completion of the merger.
In his note, Kilar described leading WarnerMedia as ” the honor of my lifetime.”
“My heart is so full, and I am beyond thankful to each of you,” Kilar wrote in his memo. “There is no better team on the planet, and I will savor every last step as I wander the lot in Burbank several more times this week, with this team on my mind, always.”
WarnerMedia and Discovery are expected to formally merge next week.
The deal between AT&T and Discovery was announced last May and won final government approval in February.