By Dawn Chmielewski

(Reuters) -WarnerMedia Chief Executive Officer Jason Kilar will depart from the company after the AT&T (NYSE:) unit’s merger with media firm Discovery (NASDAQ:) Inc, according to a memo seen by Reuters.

Kilar informed employees that the closing of the Discovery acquisition is nearing, and that it was the perfect time for him to announce his departure. This merger should close in the next month.

Kilar assumed the role of WarnerMedia’s head in April 2020 just prior to the launch of HBO Max. In April 2020, Kilar took over as WarnerMedia’s head. He restructured the entire company to focus on streaming services and appointed new leaders.

Kilar, a veteran technology executive, had previously worked for Amazon.com (NASDAQ) and was also the first CEO at Hulu. In 2021, Kilar broke new ground by releasing movies in both theaters and online on HBO Max.

The announcement stunned the talent community. Christopher Nolan, a filmmaker told one trade publication that he and others went to sleep the night before believing they were working at the best movie studio. However, they woke up to discover they were actually working for the worst streaming platform.

However, this move provided fresh content for the fledgling streaming platform and helped to accelerate its growth. HBO Max, the HBO television network have now reached 73.8 millions subscribers.

Kilar stated in his memo that technology, product and design have been elevated to the top in the company. We’re one team and proudly, successfully reaching consumers around the world. It was deeply satisfying to look into the future with each of you, and do it with conviction.