Quibi Loses Third Top-Level Exec Prior To Launch: Head Of Content Ops Diane Nelson

In a chin-scratching turn of events prior to its April launch, mobile video service Quibi has lost its third top-level exec in recent months — this time Diane Nelson, who joined the mobile video platform in 2018 as head of content operations and programming.

“Diane Nelson has been a valued member of the team, helping us build a strong organization full of exceptional people,” Quibi founder Jeffrey Katzenberg told The Hollywood Reporter in a statement. “We wish her well and support her as she focuses on other priorities, and thank her for her many contributions to Quibi.”

Prior to joining Quibi, Nelson spent 22 years at Warner Bros., during which time she managed the company’s Harry Potter franchise as well as its relationship with author JK Rowling, and also served as president of DC Entertainment for nine years. Nelson exited Warner Bros. in May 2018, per her LinkedIn profile. Her exit from Quibi, however, follows other high-level departures at the short-form video upstart, including Janice Min, who was set to oversee a news slate dubbed Daily Essentials until she left the company in September, and former head of partnerships and distribution, Tim Connolly

In a memo to staffers obtained by the Reporter, Nelson attributed her departure from Quibi to “a commitment to prioritize several key aspects of my life — most importantly my family and friends,” which she says she first made after departing Warner Bros. “Unfortunately, that commitment was tested a bit sooner and more urgently than I might have liked….I will be taking the next few months to make sure the people I love are well and settled and then will turn my attention to my next chapter of life.”

Quibi is slated to launch on April 6 with both $8 (ad-free) and $5 (ad-supported) monthly subscription options. The streamer has unveiled a teeming content slate that features the likes of Liza Koshy, Sophie Turner, Darren Criss, and Liam Hemsworth.