Paramount has named Shivani Patel vice president of strategy and operations.
In her role, she will work with studio leadership to “develop long-term strategy and drive strategic planning across film and television,” according to Paramount. In addition to leading slate planning, Mr. Patel will lead efforts to co-align and align strategies across the media company, working closely with production, marketing and distribution along the way. Patel will report to Paramount Pictures co-chairmen Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein.
Prior to joining Paramount, Patel served as senior vice president of strategy and business development for Universal Entertainment. There, she spent 11 years working closely with film leadership teams to develop studio and slate strategy, including greenlighting decisions and helping negotiate contracts with key talent. Prior to joining Universal, Patel began his career in investment banking at Goldman Sachs.
Since Paramount completed its $8 billion merger with Skydance, the company has undergone a leadership shakeup under CEO and Chairman David Ellison. In addition to Goldberg and Greenstein, Paramount has hired Josh Goldstein as head of marketing, Jennifer Dodge as head of Paramount Animation, Sean Barber as head of theatrical distribution, and Leah Bouman as head of Republic Pictures. The studio has also brought in talent, including Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer, Will Smith, James Mangold, Jon M. Chu and Jessica Biel, to various film and television deals.
Paramount’s 2026 schedule includes “Scream 7” in February, “Scary Movie 6” in June, “Paw Patrol” in August, “Street Fighter” in October, and “Angry Birds 3” in December.
