Paramount Hires Shivani Patel as Executive VP of Strategy and Operations (EXCLUSIVE)

Paramount has named Shivani Patel as executive VP of strategy and operations.

In her role, she will work alongside studio leadership to “shape long-term strategy and drive strategic planning across film and television,” according to Paramount. In addition to guiding the slate planning, Patel will lead initiatives to cross-coordinate and align strategy throughout the entire media company, working closely with production, marketing and distribution in the process. Patel will report to Paramount Pictures co-chairs Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein.

Before joining Paramount, Patel served as Universal Entertainment’s senior VP of strategy and business development. There, she spent 11 years working closely with the film leadership team to shape studio and slate strategy, including supporting greenlight decisions and key talent deal negotiations. Prior to her tenure at Universal, Patel began her career in investment banking at Goldman Sachs.

Since Paramount closed its $8 billion merger with Skydance, the company has revamped its leadership team under the jurisdiction of CEO and chairman David Ellison. Along with Goldberg and Greenstein, Paramount has hired Josh Goldstine as head of marketing, Jennifer Dodge as head of Paramount Animation, Shaun Barber as head of theatrical distribution and and Lia Buman as head of Republic Pictures. The studio has also lured talent including “Stranger Things” creators Matt and Ross Duffer, Will Smith, James Mangold, Jon M. Chu and Jessica Biel for various film and television deals.

Paramount’s 2026 slate includes “Scream 7” in February, “Scary Movie 6” in June, “PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie” in August, “Street Fighter” in October and “The Angry Birds 3” in December.