Yahoo Finance Westbrook Names Denise Bailey-Castro As CFO
EXCLUSIVE: Westbrook Inc., Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith’s studio, has named Denise Bailey-Castro as CFO.
Bailey-Castro will oversee all of Westbrook Inc.’s financial operations across new business development, funding, acquisitions and major deals and be based in Westbrook’s LA headquarters.
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Bailey-Castro joins Westbrook from Paramount Global’s BET Media Group, where she most recently served as Head of Finance. There, she structured and executed landmark, multi-year deals that grew BETMG’s portfolio of assets to include new ventures such as BET+ and BET Studios, with Tyler Perry and Kenya Barris, respectively. BETMG sustained year-over-year growth across all lines of business, from advertising to streaming, under Bailey-Castro’s financial leadership and discipline.
Prior to BETMG, she managed affiliate accounts and led negotiations with cable, satellite, and streaming partners on Legacy Viacom Media Networks’ Distribution & Business Development Team. Bailey-Castro has held other media roles at Paramount Pictures and HBO, and started her career as an Analyst at JPMorgan.
“Denise is an incredible leader and has a brilliant mind for business, that makes her an invaluable addition to the Westbrook executive team,” said Ko Yada, Westbrook Inc. CEO. “As we continue to grow as a company in new ways, her past success and unique expertise will be a vital contribution to the company and the future of what we’re working to create. We couldn’t be more excited to have her.”
“I have followed Westbrook since its inception and I am so excited to be part of this team. As the media industry continues to face dynamic shifts, Westbrook is well-positioned to navigate the ever-changing landscape and capitalize on viewers’ demands for premium, gripping, diverse, and creative stories,” said Bailey-Castro. “As I step into this next chapter of my career, I am energized by the many opportunities ahead to build our ‘global campfire’ and I look forward to working with this amazing team to strategically bring our big ideas to fruition.”
Up next for Westbrook Studios is Bad Boys 4: Ride or Die on June 7. Also on the slate is Sugar Bandits from filmmaker Stefano Sollima, I Am Legend 2 with Will Smith and Michael B. Jordan; the Night of the Living Dead sequel written by LaToya Morgan and directed by Nikyatu Jusu; and Clean Air, a joint project from Westbrook, NASCAR and the Chainsmokers, directed by Victoria Mahoney.
On the television side, Westbrook Studios is producing the upcoming third season of the NAACP Image Award-nominated Bel-Air, and travel adventure series Pole to Pole. They are also behind the Netflix scripted-documentary hybrid series Queen Cleopatra, the follow-up to the 12-time Daytime Emmy-nominated series African Queens: Njinga; travel adventure series Welcome to Earth, and six-time Emmy and SAG Award nominated series Cobra Kai; documentary series Amend: The Fight for America; limited series Women of the Movement; and 16-episode comedy series This Joka.
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