Terrible Transition Tales: Skydance Sex Harasser Surprise July 7 Shotgun Wedding Already Damaged PARA Core Asset, Its Talent!

In an astonishing turn of events, the shareholders and employees of a major public media company find themselves trapped in a nightmare scenario. After settling numerous sexual harassment claims and ousting a terminated CEO for misconduct in 2018 (recall ex CEO Les Moonves and tv host Charlie Rose) they are now forced to take a gamble on a brand new management team. Shockingly, two out of three key senior managers have been confirmed as sexual harassers after internal investigations and were terminated from their previous positions at major media companies, brutally cast out for the safety and reputation of those who worked under them. Jeff Shell was terminated by #NBC in 2023 after the broadcaster corroborated the sexual harassment against a top journalist that went on for a decade and John Lasseter forced out from #Pixar was a multi victim deviant https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-john-lasseter-skydance-controversy-20190111-story.html These measures were necessary for the protection of those public company's shareholders, employees, and brand.

And yet, these same individuals are being handed the keys to a multi-billion dollar empire, with no regard for the countless victims of their abuse or the irreparable damage it will cause to both the company's image and its talent pool.

MERGER & ACQUISITION TRANSITIONS MATTER

This is why so much planning and effort goes into transition plans and strategies in public M&A. It is easy to buy or sell a large company, but transitioning to new management can be tricky and even disastrous if not done carefully. Even with flawless new leadership, if the acquired company's employees are not communicated with properly, there is a high risk of losing top talent and damaging the overall value of the acquisition.

This is why mergers and acquisitions require careful planning and strategizing - because one wrong move can result in catastrophic consequences. And yet, Shari Redstone, who claims to care about her father's legacy, has made the reckless decision to hand over control to two confirmed sexual harassers.

PARAMOUNT DAMAGED JULY 7 WHEN SKYDANCE MERGER AGREEMENT SIGNED

No news report has yet posed what seems like the logical question - did Paramount Global already suffer significant reputational and morale damage, as well as loss of talent, due to their merger agreement with Skydance? How will top female employees react when they become aware of this event? It is highly unlikely that they would wait around to "test" out the toxic work environment with these two notorious leaders. They are already seeking employment elsewhere, abandoning ship in droves and leaving behind a sinking vessel.

SHARI REDSTONE ZEALOUS GREED

So how can Shari Redstone claim to care about her father's reputation and his company while terminating Bakish, selling without a CEO and General Counsel, and then knowingly agreeing to hand over control to two proven sexual harassers?

Was she not keenly aware, based on her experience as Chair during the CBS sex scandals from 2018-2023, of the potential liabilities and damages that she was passing on to Paramount's shareholders? Why did she not factor this into the stock price she received, and why did the special committee not consider this added risk?

SPECIAL COMMITTEE "GO SHOP" = NO SHOPPERS WILL WANT DAMAGED GOODS

And how could the 45-day "Go Shop" period even be feasible if the value of Paramount decreased by hundreds of millions or billions of dollars on day one due to the disclosure of sexual harasser leadership? Who would want to purchase a company whose most valuable asset - its people - have been so gravely damaged in just one day? All while having to pay an extra $400 million just for the privilege?

The truth is, this merger has become nothing more than a ticking time bomb, with PARA shareholders and employees left to suffer the consequences of a deeply flawed decision-making process. And for what? The sake of preserving an outdated legacy and lining the pockets of those in power. It's a disgrace, and one that will surely haunt them for years to come.