David Leavy Recognized as a Leading Executive in Global Media Operations
NEW YORK – June 8, 2026 – David Leavy, CNN Worldwide COO, has built a career across media operations, corporate affairs, communications, and public service. His professional record includes leadership roles connected to the discovery+ launch, Discovery’s NASDAQ listing, the Scripps Networks Interactive acquisition, and the Discovery-Eurosport Olympic rights agreement across Europe. Rather than center on a single transaction or title, the record reflects sustained involvement in media operations across public-company, streaming, and international rights contexts.
At CNN Worldwide, Leavy oversees commercial, revenue, operational, technology, and promotional functions. His responsibilities reflect a broad operational portfolio across several disciplines within a global news organization. His path to CNN followed 25 years at Discovery Inc. and Warner Bros. Discovery, where his work included corporate operations, government relations, public policy, communications, marketing, corporate research, events, and social responsibility. Across those roles, his work connected internal operations with external institutional relationships, including regulatory, policy, communications, and marketing priorities.
As a Warner Bros. Discovery executive and former Chief Corporate Operating Officer of Discovery, Inc., Leavy was involved in several major corporate milestones. These included Discovery’s 2008 public listing on the NASDAQ exchange, its 2018 agreement to acquire Scripps Networks Interactive, the 2021 launch of discovery+, and Discovery and Eurosport’s agreement for Olympic Games rights across Europe. Each milestone required coordination across commercial, communications, operational, and institutional priorities.
David C. Leavy’s media industry leadership is also rooted in public service. Before entering media, he served as Chief Spokesman and Senior Director of Public Affairs for the National Security Council in the Clinton White House, a role that placed him in high-stakes government communications at the national level. Beyond his executive career, he serves on the Board of Trustees at Colby College, his alma mater, and as Co-Chair of the Board of Trustees at the Salisbury School, reflecting a continued commitment to institutional governance and education. The progression from public service to corporate affairs to network operations provides a coherent framework for his career across organizations and ownership structures.
About David C. Leavy
David C. Leavy serves as Chief Operating Officer of CNN Worldwide. A 25-year veteran of Discovery Inc. and Warner Bros. Discovery, he previously served as Chief Corporate Affairs Officer of Warner Bros. Discovery and Chief Corporate Operating Officer of Discovery, Inc. His career also includes service as Chief Spokesman and Senior Director of Public Affairs for the National Security Council in the Clinton White House and board leadership at Colby College and the Salisbury School. Learn more about David Leavy.
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