Ed Romano, Warner Bros.' Vice Chairman, to Retire at End of June
Romano has served as Warner Bros.’ Vice Chairman since December 2014. He has been with the company since 1968 and served as Executive Vice President and CFO from 1994 until his promotion to Vice Chairman. In that role, he worked closely with Tsujihara to implement growth strategies for the Studio, including international expansion, digital transition and resource reallocation from mature businesses to high opportunity, content-creating divisions.
“I have worked with Ed as long as I’ve been at Warner Bros.—in fact, it’s hard to imagine the Studio without him,” said Tsujihara. “He’s more than just a longtime employee, he’s part of the company’s history. I’m grateful for his partnership since I’ve been CEO, and while this is being called his retirement, I’m glad that we’ll still be able to draw upon his experience and counsel as a consultant. So I’ll thank him for his many years of service, but I won’t say goodbye.”
“Ed and I started at Warner Bros. three years apart and have been friends and colleagues for decades,” said Barry Meyer, former Chairman and CEO, Warner Bros. (1999-2013). “He has been with the Studio through incredible periods of growth and change, and has been an important part of that evolution. Through all our years together at Warner Bros., no one was relied upon more, trusted more and respected more than Ed Romano. He will be missed.”
“Ed has been an incredible asset to Warner Bros. for almost 50 years,” said Bob Daly, former Chairman and CEO of Warner Bros. (1980-1999). “He really is a company man—in the best sense—and his contributions to Warner Bros. are numerous. While he may be retiring, he’ll always be part of the Warner family.”
During Romano’s 48-year tenure, the Studio has grown from revenues of $200 million in 1968 to $12.9 billion in 2015. Under his leadership as CFO, Warner Bros. enjoyed consistent record-breaking years. Some of the many deals in which Romano has been involved include the acquisition of Warner Hollywood Studios, the 1989 acquisition of Lorimar Television, the acquisition of The Wolper Organization, the formation of The WB Television Network (and subsequently The CW), the acquisition of several international TV production companies, including Shed Media and Eyeworks, the acquisition of multiple interactive game production companies, including TT Games, and the acquisition of Leavesden Studios in the U.K.
In addition to serving as Vice Chairman and Executive Vice President and CFO, Romano has also served as Assistant Treasurer, Controller, Vice President & Controller, and Senior Vice President & Controller. Romano joined Warner Bros. in 1968, after serving five years at the public accountancy firm of Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co.