Television
August 29, 2001
Forty Four-Year Warner Bros. Veteran Jorge Sanchez To Retire From Warner Bros. International Television Distribution - David Guerrero Promoted To Vice President, Latin America, Warner Bros. International Television Distribution
(August 29, 2001 - Burbank, CA) - Forty four-year Warner Bros. veteran Jorge Sanchez will retire from his post as Vice President, Latin America, Warner Bros. International Television Distribution at the end of this week, at which point he begins a one-year consultancy position with the company. Concurrently, David Guerrero will be promoted from Sales Director, Latin America to Vice President, Latin America, to assume Sanchez’s responsibilities. Guerrero will report to Malcolm Dudley-Smith, Senior Vice President, Sales & Business Development, Warner Bros. International Television Distribution. These announcements were made today by Jeffrey R. Schlesinger, President, Warner Bros. International Television.
“In addition to being a great sales executive and valued employee for more than four decades, Jorge is an institution in the business,” said Schlesinger. “From selling such classic Warner Bros. Television series as ‘77 Sunset Strip’ and ‘Maverick’ with little more than a 16mm sales reel in the ‘60s to his recent participation in the formation of HBO Olé and the countless successes he’s enjoyed in between, Jorge has had an amazing career. We’re glad to have benefited from his expertise and experience throughout the years and wish him all the best in this next chapter of his life.”
“David is a terrific sales executive and has been an integral member of our team for more than 10 years working at the side of Jorge,” added Schlesinger. “I know that with David at the helm, we will not miss a beat.”
In his post as Vice President, Latin America, Warner Bros. International Television Distribution, Sanchez was responsible for directing the sales activities in the 25 countries in his territory and overseeing a staff of 20 in WBITV’s offices in Mexico City. He has been credited with orchestrating business directives that have resulted in a 900% increase in sales over the last eight years in the territory. In recent years, Sanchez was highly involved in the formation of HBO Olé in Latin America.
Sanchez, a native of Mexico City, joined Warner Bros. Pictures in 1957 as the number-two executive in the Mexico office, working in sales and distribution. In 1961, he added television sales for Mexico to his responsibilities and in 1969, he moved full-time into television sales, adding Panama and Central America to his territory.
He was named Sales Director, Latin America in 1971, the same year he began attending the Los Angeles Screenings on behalf of WBITV. Over the next three years, he added the Caribbean (including English-speaking territories), and Brazil to his purview.
Originally an accountant by trade, Sanchez maintained his own accounting firm in Mexico City during his first four years working for the company.
Sanchez had forged a relationship with Warner Bros. Pictures prior to joining the company, having sold movie projectors as a sales representative for Westrex. While at Westrex, Sanchez established himself as the youngest General Manager of the company’s 130 regional operations. In addition to movie equipment, Westrex handled the sales and installation of communication systems and Sanchez was responsible for the installation of the first Teletypes in Guayaquil and Quito, Ecuador.
Guerrero was promoted to Sales Director, Latin America in 1993, having joined Warner Bros. International Television Distribution in 1990, as a Sales Executive. Prior to joining WBITV, Guerrero served as an account director at the advertising agencies J. Walter Thompson, Young & Rubicam, and Grey. He holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in business administration from Instituto Tecnologico Autonomo de Mexico and the University of the Americas in Mexico City, respectively. # # #