Experienced PR and communications professional Shannon Buck is set to join Paramount as executive vice president and head of communications and PR for Paramount Direct to Consumer. She will officially begin her role on Monday, where she will oversee global communications and publicity strategies.
Before this, Buck served at NBCUniversal as executive VP of integrated communications. Her new appointment at Paramount marks a reunion with Cindy Holland, her former colleague at Netflix, who has recently taken charge of streaming at the newly formed Paramount Skydance company.
In her role at Paramount, Buck will collaborate closely with Holland and chief communications officer Melissa Zukerman, managing all communications and publicity efforts directed at consumers.
“Shannon is a seasoned strategic communications leader with over 20 years of experience in guiding publicity and communications for content across various platforms, focusing on audience engagement and brand development tailored for direct-to-consumer,” Holland mentioned in a communication to staff.
Buck joins the ranks of other former Netflix executives at Paramount Skydance, where Holland has also brought in Jane Wiseman as executive VP and head of originals.
Her nearly three-year tenure at NBCUniversal began as executive VP of publicity for Peacock, where she managed publicity, events, and activations for original and exclusive content. As the organization evolved, she shifted focus to B2B marketing for Universal Studio Group, awards strategies, and other communication assignments.
While at Netflix for more than six years, Buck was the vice president of series publicity, leading teams on various scripted, unscripted, and stand-up programs, contributing to hits like “Bridgerton,” “Stranger Things,” “The Queen’s Gambit,” “The Crown,” “Emily in Paris,” “Queer Eye,” “Love Is Blind,” and “The Circle.” She started as a director of publicity in 2016, managing campaigns for shows including “Black Mirror,” “Mindhunter,” “Master of None,” and “Big Mouth.”
Prior to her stint at Netflix, Buck held the title of senior vice president for programming publicity at Starz, where she managed awards campaigns, events, talent relations, and overall publicity strategy. She also worked as vice president at FerenComm, with a portfolio that included notable networks like Bravo, Food Network, AMC, WeTV, DIY Network, Sundance Channel, Starz, and History Channel.
Here’s Holland’s note to the team:
“I am thrilled to announce that Shannon Buck will officially join our team tomorrow as EVP, Head of Communications and PR for Paramount Direct to Consumer. Her responsibilities will encompass global communications and publicity strategies for our operations. Shannon is a highly skilled strategic communications executive with over two decades of experience in leading publicity and communications across diverse platforms, with a keen focus on driving audience engagement and brand development for direct-to-consumer. She boasts an impressive history of crafting award-winning campaigns, particularly in subscriber acquisition and retention strategies.
“Before joining us, she was at NBCUniversal, where she most recently led Integrated Communications across their television and studio group, orchestrating campaigns that spanned multiple entertainment brands within a unified corporate framework. Her journey began as Head of Publicity for Peacock, where she effectively integrated Love Island into popular culture and generated critical and consumer acclaim for The Traitors. Buck also enjoyed a successful six-year period at Netflix, where she played a pivotal role in the development and structuring of the team amid rapid organizational growth, achieving notable success in international campaign coordination and team scaling with an inventive approach.”
