Paramount Skydance on Monday promoted two veteran labor relations executives, Nicole Lang and Sheldon Kasdan, to head a new independent division responsible for steering the company’s relationship with entertainment unions.
Both have been with the company for many years. Mr. Lang has been Paramount Pictures’ head of labor relations since 2013, and Mr. Kasdan has been the head of labor at CBS for 10 years. Both will become co-heads of labor relations for Paramount Skydance, reporting directly to Makan Delrahim, Paramount Skydance’s chief legal officer.
“Nicole and Sheldon played a key role in successfully navigating recent labor negotiations and strengthening our relationships with partners across the industry,” Delrahim said in a statement. “Elevating Industrial Relations to an independent department reflects both the importance of this work and our confidence in their continued leadership.”
Mr. Lang will be responsible for labor relations on behalf of the film division and the studio’s backlot operations, while Mr. Kasdan will also be responsible for the company’s television and media division. Both have extensive experience partnering with other studios through the Motion Picture and Television Producers Alliance.
“We are extremely grateful for our long-standing partnership with trade unions and guilds, and for the company’s recognition that industrial relations are an important function that supports our business and our employees,” they said in a joint statement. “We look forward to building on these relationships further.”
Paramount Skydance’s release included words of praise for both executives from leaders of SAG-AFTRA, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, and the Directors Guild of America.
“We congratulate Sheldon and Nicole on their well-deserved promotions,” said DGA Executive Director Russell Hollander. “Both have been thoughtful, solution-oriented partners across the negotiating table and as directors of DGA Producer Pension and Health Plans, helping to solve complex problems with professionalism and a shared commitment to finding common ground. I look forward to continuing to work together in my new role.”
