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David M. Zaslav currently serves as chief executive officer, president, and a common share director of Warner Bros. Discovery. Over the course of his career, Zaslav has served in a variety of management and legal roles in the media industry.
Zaslav has served as president and chief executive officer of the media conglomerate Warner Bros. Discovery since January 2007 and as a common stock director since September 2008. During his tenure, Zaslav most notably oversaw the merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery Inc., which was completed in April 2022 and reported at more than $40 billion.
Prior to joining Discovery, Zaslav served as President, Cable & Domestic Television and New Media Distribution of NBC Universal, Inc., a media and entertainment company, from May 2006 to December 2006.
Prior to this position, Zaslav served as executive vice president of NBC and president of NBC Cable, a division of NBC, from October 1999 to May 2006. During his tenure, Zaslav was responsible for developing and launching CNBC and also played a role in the creation of MSNBC.
After graduating from Boston University Law School in 1985, Zaslav began working as an attorney at the firm LeBouf, Lamb, Lieby & MacRae. During this time, he worked on and around matters involving Warner Brothers, the Discovery Channel, and MTV.
According to the Warner Bros. Discovery's 2022 annual report (10-K), Zaslav currently serves on the following public boards:
In addition to numerous fundraising efforts and other endeavors, Zaslav sits on the board of the following philanthropic and educational institutions:
Zaslav has received multiple awards and honors for his contributions to the media industry as well as his philanthropic work:
- Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Award (2018)
- Cable TV Pioneers (2018)
- Cable Hall of Fame (2017)
- Fred Dressler Leadership Award (2014)
- Steven J. Ross Humanitarian Award (2012)
- Susan Newhouse & SI Newhouse Award of Hope (2016)
- Vanity Fair’s “New Establishment List” (2016)
In 2022, Zaslav was named as one the most influential people of 2022 by Time Magazine. The article commemorating this achievement was authored by Chip and Joanna Gaines, stars of the HGTV reality television series Fixer Upper.
Zaslav was born on January 15, 1960 in Brooklyn, New York. He was born to a Polish and Ukrainian Jewish family, and growing up, Zaslav heard accounts from family members who left Warsaw and Odessa just before World War II. According to Zaslav: “It’s their story — rooted in gratitude for the full lives they had the opportunity to live — that built the foundation of my childhood and that still inspires me to this day [...]."
After graduating from high school, Zaslav enrolled at Cornell University and joined the tennis team. Following his freshman year, he transferred to Binghamton University in Binghamton, New York, where he earned a BS in 1982. Subsequently, Zaslav earned a J.D., with honors, from Boston University in 1985.
In 1987, Zaslav married his high school sweetheart, Pam (Eisinger). As of 2022, they reside in New York City, where they own multiple homes. In 2011, Zaslav purchased a duplex, located at 115 Central Park West, for $25 million from American comedian Conan O'Brien. In 2020, the Zaslavs purchased another residence in Beverly Hills, which was once owned by actress Greta Garbo, for $16 million.
The couple have three children—Jordan, Jamie, and Alison. Alison and Jamie graduated from Syracuse University in 2014 and 2016, respectively. Alison (Ali) works as a congressional producer at CNN, a media company under the Warner Bros. Discovery umbrella, following the merger in 2022. Their son, Jordan, graduated from Duke University in 2012 and works as a general manager at Axios, a media company based in Washington, D.C.
