In anticipation of Hulu CEO Jason Kilar’s announced departure, speculation has been rampant as to who will fill the role of chief executive at the company.
On Thursday, some clarity in response to that question finally came by way of an email from Kilar to the Hulu team.
In the note, the departing CEO announced that Andy Forssell will become acting CEO of Hulu at the end of this month. News Corp. and Disney, however, the two primary owners of Hulu, have the ultimate decision with regard to the installment of Forssell and whether it will be a permanent appointment.
The following is the email sent by Kilar yesterday to the Hulu team:
Team –
As you all know, I will be departing Hulu at the end of this quarter. I wanted to share the news that Andy Forssell will be stepping up to lead Hulu as acting CEO after I depart later this month. You know Andy well; he’s been a critical senior executive and has been here from the start of this great adventure. Andy exemplifies the Hulu culture and has been central to Hulu’s journey, helping to grow this company from 2 content partners and no revenue to over 450 content partners and approximately $700 million revenue in 2012. In his role, Andy has built strong relationships with many of our Board members. Andy has the Board’s strong support in leading the team during this important time.
Disney and News Corporation are currently finalizing their forward-looking plans with Hulu, and the senior team has been working closely with them in that process. Once the plans are finalized, a permanent decision will be made regarding the CEO position.
As I mentioned to you all at the beginning of this year, Hulu’s focus remains on delivering a fantastic 2013 for customers and shareholders. Hulu is well on its way, with new records being set in Q1 across both revenue and subscriber additions. The unwavering focus on delighting Hulu’s customers is clearly showing up in the outputs of the business.
Jason
