Erin Calhoun, chief communications officer for Paramount Streaming and Showtime, is leaving the company after seven years.
Calhoun will leave at the end of September, he wrote in a memo to staff on Thursday (read it below, along with a note from Paramount Streaming president and CEO Tom Ryan).
“What has truly made this journey extraordinary is this team and the people I have had the privilege of working with – talented individuals who have not only been colleagues, but friends,” Calhoun writes. “I leave here with cherished memories that will stay with me forever.”
Calhoun’s departure follows that of Paramount+ and Paramount+ With Showtime chief marketing officer Michael Engleman in August. As with Engleman’s departure, Calhoun is leaving Paramount as the company looks for ways to streamline its operations, including communications, ahead of its merger with Skydance. The company is looking to save $500 million in costs and is laying off 15 percent of its U.S. workforce.
Calhoun leaves Paramount as executive vice president and chief communications officer for Paramount Streaming, Paramount+ With Showtime and corporate advertising. Prior to joining Showtime, she was vice president of corporate communications at NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment and vice president of communications at Discovery.
Read Calhoun’s full note below.
Equipment,
After seven incredible years, I am sharing the news that I will be leaving Paramount. It has been a privilege to be a part of this organization and I am so grateful for the experiences and opportunities I have been fortunate enough to have, but most of all for the friendships I have made along the way.
During my time here, I had the honor of leading the communications team first at Showtime and most recently at Paramount Streaming, an experience that has been truly rewarding. I am so proud of this team and all we have accomplished. Together, we navigated several challenges and changes, always supporting each other as we focused on delivering incredible campaigns and record-breaking results, including launching numerous award-winning programs, producing hundreds of premiere events and awards campaigns, and expertly managing countless corporate communications initiatives.
While I am incredibly proud of what we accomplished together, what truly made this journey extraordinary was this team and the people I had the privilege of working with – talented individuals who were not only colleagues, but friends as well. I leave here with cherished memories that will stay with me forever. I am so grateful for every moment, for all the fun we had together, and for each and every one of you.
As I approach my next adventure, I want you to know that I carry with me all the lessons learned, as well as the spirit of collaboration we have cultivated together. Thank you for your support, your dedication, and your collaboration.
I will be leaving at the end of the month and I look forward to connecting with many of you before I leave. I wish you all the best and continued success.
With sincere gratitude,
Ireland
Note from Tom Ryan:
Hi team
I want to share that Erin Calhoun is leaving Paramount after seven years with the company. I had the great pleasure of working closely with Erin in her role as Executive Vice President and Chief Communications Officer for Paramount Streaming & Showtime and Cross-Company Publicity, where she seamlessly brought together the communications teams from Paramount+, Pluto TV and Showtime to create a unified function that designed and accelerated our powerful streaming storytelling.
During her tenure, Erin successfully built and led a world-class team that effectively delivered momentum and milestones for our premium content and leading services. Erin oversaw everything from corporate communications, publicity, events and talent relations to awards and photography, and oversaw top-level campaigns for all Paramount+ Originals, including Traveling Companions, The Curse, Frasier, Knuckles and Special Operations: Leona; oversaw media relations for product and brand priorities such as Pluto TV’s 10th anniversary; led the team that executed more than 250 industry events and spearheaded nearly 100 award nominations each year.
As many of you know, Erin skillfully built and elevated the Showtime brand during her time at Paramount, which included launching hit series. Shameless and Billionsas well as the launch Yellow wasps and Dexter: New BloodDuring a dynamic period at our company, Erin has also masterfully brought together Paramount teams to demonstrate the success of our combined offering in her role as Director of Corporate Cross-Company Publicity. Her collaborative nature and approach were on full display at this year’s Super Bowl, where she helped manage the company’s corporate communications efforts.
I am incredibly grateful for her countless contributions to Paramount, but most of all for her ongoing collaboration and expert advice. Erin has been a trusted confidant and strategic partner, and I know she will have great success in all of her future endeavors. Please join me in wishing Erin a heartfelt farewell.
Thomas
