Bad Robot’s Carlos W. Williams Joins Fox 21 TV Studios As EVP Business Operations – Deadline

Carlos W. Williams, Head of Business Affairs at Warner Bros.-based Bad Robot Productions, has been tapped as EVP Business Operations for Fox 21 Television Studios, a division of Disney Television Studios. He begins in late February, reporting to Fox 21 TV Studios President Bert Salke, in a return to the Walt Disney Co, where he started his entertainment career. Vibiana Molina, Fox 21’s EVP Business and Legal Affairs, will now report to Williams.

This is the second high-profile BA executive hire at a Disney TV Studios division over the past couple of weeks. 20th Century Fox TV brought in CBS veteran Dan Kupetz as EVP, Business Affairs and Operations

“With the goal of building Fox 21 into one of the most powerful suppliers of entertainment programming in town, I’m thrilled to announce that we’re bringing in Carlos who was instrumental in the success of both Bad Robot and Warner Horizon before that,” said Salke. “He’s a fantastic executive whom I’ve long wanted in this organization and whose hire Craig Hunegs enthusiastically endorsed. I know he is going to be a spectacular leader of our business operations activities, and the perfect executive to help guide my strong senior team of Vibiana Molina, Jane Francis, Andy Bourne and Nissa Diederich in growing the label significantly in the years to come.”

Williams has served as Head of Business Affairs at Bad Robot since the summer of 2018. Initially overseeing the business operations of the television division, his role was subsequently expanded to include providing business oversight and strategic input across the company in the additional areas of film, games, music, live, and digital. While at Bad Robot, he oversaw all business and strategy, including supervising the negotiations of key deals with platforms, filmmakers and talent. During his time there, Williams was involved with projects including Lisey’s Story and Little Voice for Apple, Lovecraft Country for HBO, and Castle Rock for Hulu.

“In my time spent at Bad Robot, on a daily basis, I’ve been inspired, motivated and amazed by the creativity and focus on storytelling. The generosity shown to me by Katie, JJ and Brian has been incredible and I will always be so appreciative of the enormous positive impact they have had on me not only as an executive, but also as a person,” said Williams. “I will miss them and the rest of the Bad Robot team deeply, but I’m excited and energized to join Bert and the talented group at Fox 21 Television Studios who are making some of the most compelling, audacious and award-winning television around. Craig and Bert challenged me to come and help them grow and build on their already considerable success, and I knew immediately this was one opportunity I could not possibly pass up.”

Prior to joining Bad Robot, Williams served as Head of West Coast Business and Legal Affairs for the A+E Networks and A+E Studios in a lead management role overseeing a team of executives dedicated to handling all business and legal aspects of the company’s content and programming. Before that, Williams spent three years as head of the business affairs unit for Warner Horizon Television, the studio’s scripted basic cable and reality basic cable/primetime programming division, and also served as a leading business affairs executive at Warner Bros. Television for three years within the studio’s primetime and premium cable scripted division. There, he worked with Craig Hunegs, now President of Disney TV Studios.

Williams began his entertainment career at The Walt Disney Company where he spent nine years in a variety of roles including separately serving as a VP of Business Affairs for both ABC Studios and the ABC Television Network.