Li Haslett Chen, founder and CEO of social-media commerce company Howl, is stepping down from Warner Bros. Discovery‘s board of directors to devote herself full time to Howl.
Chen’s exit from WBD’s board is effective Jan. 31, 2025. Her term was scheduled to expire at the Warner Bros. Discovery 2025 annual meeting of stockholders.
Chen has served on the board of Warner Bros. Discovery since April 2022, when the media company was formed through the merger of Discovery Inc. and WarnerMedia. WBD credited her with playing “an important role in guiding the company through its strategic evolution” with her expertise in “direct-to-consumer go-to-market strategies, multisurface platform development and technology innovation.”
Chen, in a statement provided by WBD, said, “In the past year, Howl has pioneered strategic partnerships with industry leading retail media networks and launched an innovative new platform. As Howl enters a major phase of growth in 2025, I have decided to dedicate my full attention to the company during this exciting time. It has been an honor to serve on the board of Warner Bros. Discovery for the past three years. I look forward to seeing Warner Bros. Discovery continue to thrive.”
In April of this year, Steven Miron and Steven Newhouse resigned from the Warner Bros. Discovery board after the Justice Department informed them it was investigating “whether their service on the Board of Directors violated Section 8 of the Clayton Antitrust Act,” the company announced. Miron, CEO of Condé Nast parent company Advance/Newhouse Partnership and a senior executive officer at the Newhouse family’s investment business Advance, and Newhouse, co-president of Advance, were both independent directors of Warner Bros. Discovery.
In September 2024, Warner Bros. Discovery announced that attorney Daniel Sanchez, who is WBD shareholder and board member John Malone’s nephew, was joining the WBD board effective Oct. 1, 2024. Sanchez had previously served on the board of Discovery Inc.
According to an 8-K filing Monday with the SEC, Chen notified WBD’s board on Dec. 28 of her decision to resign from the company’s board. Chen’s resignation “was not the result of any disagreement with the company on any matter relating to the company’s operation, policies or practices,” per the filing.
Samuel Di Piazza Jr., chair of the Warner Bros. Discovery board, said in a statement, “On behalf of the board, I want to thank Li for her service and considerable contributions to Warner Bros. Discovery. Li has been an exceptionally engaged and dedicated member of the board, bringing unique insights and deep technology expertise that have been valuable as we have overseen management’s strategic progress. We wish Li the best in her future endeavors.”
