Netflix has named Dani Dudeck as its next chief communications officer, the company confirmed this week.
Dudeck will start on January 12 and report to co-CEO Ted Sarandos. She replaces Rachel Whetstone, who joined Netflix in 2018 and departed in October 2024.
Most recently, Dudeck served as chief corporate affairs officer at Instacart. Before that, she held communications roles at Zynga and MySpace, among other stops across tech and media.
A high-profile comms hire at a pivotal moment
The appointment lands as Netflix works to close its proposed Warner Bros. Discovery transaction—valued at $82.7 billion in enterprise value (about $72 billion in equity value)—to acquire WBD’s Studios & Streaming assets, including the Warner Bros. film and TV studios and HBO/HBO Max, following WBD’s planned separation of its networks business.
Sarandos and co-CEO Greg Peters have told employees they feel “confident” Netflix can secure the regulatory approvals needed to complete the deal, even as it faces a competing challenge: a reported hostile, all-cash offer from Paramount Skydance to buy all of Warner Bros. Discovery.
Netflix has also said it would maintain Warner Bros.’ current operations and “build on its strengths,” including preserving theatrical releases for films—an assurance that’s likely to be closely watched by talent, partners, and regulators if the acquisition moves forward.
What Sarandos and Dudeck said
In a statement announcing the hire, Sarandos highlighted Dudeck’s track record working with fast-scaling companies and building global teams, saying Netflix is excited to welcome her as the company’s communications footprint continues to expand.
Dudeck, for her part, praised Netflix’s “relentless creativity” and “technological innovation,” adding that she’s eager to contribute to a company with “meaningful cultural and economic impact” as it pushes to “entertain the world.”