Amazon exec to step in as ViacomCBS CFO

Dive Brief:

Naveen Chopra will become CFO of ViacomCBS August 10, the company announced. He will succeed Christina Spade, who will transition into an advisory role after the company's second quarter earnings call.
Chopra will join the company, which sprang from a Viacom and CBS merger last year, from Amazon, where he served as CFO of Amazon's Devices and Services business. Chopra will head ViacomCBS's financial operations, including treasury, tax, accounting, investor relations, information security and real estate, as well as global corporate development and strategy.
"Naveen's experience scaling and driving the financial strategies for growth businesses — including free ad-supported and subscription streaming, as well as with digital devices and services — will be instrumental as we continue to unlock the value of our assets," ViacomCBS CEO Bob Bakish said in a statement.

Dive Insight:

Spade, outgoing CFO and former CFO of Showtime Networks, has been the highest-ranking CBS corporate executive still at the firm following the merger, The Hollywood Reporter wrote. Bakish, prior to the merger, had been CEO of Viacom.

"I am thrilled to join ViacomCBS at this exciting time," Chopra said. "Since its merger, the company has gained strong momentum amidst a rapidly evolving landscape by leveraging its subscription and advertising businesses, diverse distribution channels, formidable library and strong content pipeline."

The company will rely on Chopra's technology background as it focuses on growing its streaming and digital platforms, including CBS All Access and Pluto TV.

Chopra brings over two decades of media and technology experience, and several CFO roles. At Amazon's devices and services arm, he oversaw financial operations for some of the brand's fastest-growing and most strategic consumer businesses, including Alexa, Echo, Fire TV, Ring, Kindle and the Amazon Appstore.

Prior to Amazon, Chopra spent two years as CFO of the country’s largest audio streaming service, Pandora, where he led a significant company turnaround, briefly serving as Interim CEO.

During Chopra’s tenure, Pandora launched its Premium subscription service, which grew revenue by more than 60%. Chopra also oversaw Pandora’s music licensing and business development efforts, the release said.

Before Pandora, Chopra spent four years as CFO of TiVo, including a short period as interim CEO.