Shari Redstone
Shari Redstone is one of the most consequential media executives of the past two decades, best known for her role as controlling shareholder and Chair of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS), where she steered one of America's largest legacy media conglomerates through a period of radical industry disruption. After years of navigating complex family dynamics, corporate governance battles, and the accelerating shift to streaming, she made the defining decision of her tenure by approving the merger of Paramount Global with Skydance Media, a deal that closed in August 2025 and effectively ended the Redstone family's approximately 38-year grip on a major Hollywood studio and broadcast empire. The transaction marked a historic inflection point in the consolidation of traditional media. Redstone's career spans law, real estate, and entertainment. She served as President of National Amusements, the theater chain and holding company through which the Redstone family controlled Viacom and CBS, and was instrumental in the re-merger of Viacom and CBS in 2019 to form Paramount Global. Her tenure was marked by high-stakes dealmaking, boardroom battles — including the removal of longtime Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman — and efforts to position Paramount+ as a competitive streaming platform against Netflix and Disney+. Her decisions around streaming strategy, content licensing, and platform distribution had significant downstream implications for the advertising ecosystem, including the growth of ad-supported streaming tiers. Following the Skydance merger, Redstone pivoted to a new chapter, taking on the role of Chair of the Board at Sipur, an Israeli film and television studio. The move reflects her continued commitment to storytelling and content investment, with Sipur notably connected to projects including 'We Will Dance Again,' a documentary about the Nova music festival massacre. Her post-Paramount chapter signals a shift toward more focused, mission-driven content ventures rather than large-scale conglomerate management.
Last updated Oct 14, 2026 by the ATDb Editorial Team · Connections updated Oct 26, 2026
AI-drafted from public sources6 sources cited
- Years in industry
- 30 years
Bio
Shari Redstone is one of the most consequential media executives of the past two decades, best known for her role as controlling shareholder and Chair of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS), where she steered one of America's largest legacy media conglomerates through a period of radical industry disruption. After years of navigating complex family dynamics, corporate governance battles, and the accelerating shift to streaming, she made the defining decision of her tenure by approving the merger of Paramount Global with Skydance Media, a deal that closed in August 2025 and effectively ended the Redstone family's approximately 38-year grip on a major Hollywood studio and broadcast empire. The transaction marked a historic inflection point in the consolidation of traditional media. Redstone's career spans law, real estate, and entertainment. She served as President of National Amusements, the theater chain and holding company through which the Redstone family controlled Viacom and CBS, and was instrumental in the re-merger of Viacom and CBS in 2019 to form Paramount Global. Her tenure was marked by high-stakes dealmaking, boardroom battles — including the removal of longtime Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman — and efforts to position Paramount+ as a competitive streaming platform against Netflix and Disney+. Her decisions around streaming strategy, content licensing, and platform distribution had significant downstream implications for the advertising ecosystem, including the growth of ad-supported streaming tiers. Following the Skydance merger, Redstone pivoted to a new chapter, taking on the role of Chair of the Board at Sipur, an Israeli film and television studio. The move reflects her continued commitment to storytelling and content investment, with Sipur notably connected to projects including 'We Will Dance Again,' a documentary about the Nova music festival massacre. Her post-Paramount chapter signals a shift toward more focused, mission-driven content ventures rather than large-scale conglomerate management.
Career
Chair of the Board
Roles with a cited source. All linked roles are in the Roles tab.
Expertise & education
Expertise
Education
- J.D., Boston University School of Law
- B.A., Tufts University
Speaking topics
Recognition
Notable achievements
- Orchestrated the Skydance-Paramount Global merger, closing August 2025, ending the Redstone family's ~38-year control of a major media empire
- Engineered the re-merger of Viacom and CBS in 2019 to form ViacomCBS (later Paramount Global)
- Successfully removed Philippe Dauman as Viacom CEO in 2016 in a landmark boardroom battle
- Oversaw the launch and scaling of Paramount+ as a major streaming platform
- Named Chair of the Board at Israeli studio Sipur in 2025, backing mission-driven content including 'We Will Dance Again'