Qaisar Rafique Appointed as EVP at Skydance
Qaisar Rafique joins Skydance as EVP, Head of Partnerships & Business Development, bringing more than two decades of experience and a record of senior commercial leadership at Warner Bros. Discovery.
The Move
- New role
- EVP, Head of Partnerships & Business Development
- Company
- Skydance
- Previously
- EVP, Head of Commercial Development EMEA & APAC, Warner Bros. Discovery
- Announced
- November 1, 2026
By the Numbers: Skydance
- Years of experience
- 24
- Years at Warner Bros. Discovery
- 4
- Business Development team
- 28
- Total funding
- $100.67 billion
Data: Crustdata, as of November 1, 2026
Skydance has appointed Qaisar Rafique as EVP, Head of Partnerships & Business Development. With more than two decades of experience, including a decade in business development, Rafique joins from Warner Bros. Discovery, where the executive most recently served as EVP, Head of Commercial Development EMEA & APAC.
A Track Record In Business Development
According to Crustdata people data, Rafique held 3 roles across 4 years at Warner Bros. Discovery, rising from SVP, Head of Commercial Strategy for EMEA & Western Pacific in 2022 to EVP, Head of Commercial Development EMEA & APAC in 2024. In between, a role as SVP, Head of Commercial Strategy for EMEA & APAC broadened a senior commercial remit across international markets.
That rise followed 9 years at Discovery, where the executive progressed from Finance Director for Emerging Business to VP Strategy & Business Development, and later combined commercial and financial leadership as SVP EMEA Commercial Development while also serving as CFO UK & Nordics. Earlier experience includes 3 years at Dunya News, part of a career that began in 2002.
Why It Matters For Skydance
Skydance is a diversified media company, founded in 2010, that creates high quality, event-level entertainment for global audiences across feature film, television and interactive platforms. Its film slate includes Star Trek Beyond, World War Z and Top Gun: Maverick, and its animation division works in partnership with Spain's Ilion Animation Studios.
Crustdata company data shows Skydance raised $47 billion in post-IPO equity in October 2026, bringing total funding to $100.67 billion, with backers including the Public Investment Fund and LionTree. The company has also announced acquisitions of Paramount in June 2024 and Warner Bros. Discovery in February 2026.
Based in the United Kingdom, Rafique brings deep international commercial experience to a company with teams across the United States, Spain and the United Kingdom.
What's Next
Rafique took up the role in October 2026 and leads the Business Development team of 28, which has welcomed 9 joiners in the past 12 months. The appointment arrives alongside other leadership hires who also began in October 2026, including a Vice President, Sales & Partnerships and a Vice President, Global Client Partnerships, strengthening the company's partnerships bench at a senior level.
Hiro News tracks leadership moves across go-to-market teams every day. People, company and job data in this story comes from Crustdata.
Questions and Answers
Who is the new EVP, Head of Partnerships & Business Development at Skydance?
Qaisar Rafique joined Skydance in the role in October 2026, arriving from Warner Bros. Discovery, where the executive most recently served as EVP, Head of Commercial Development EMEA & APAC.
What is Qaisar Rafique's background?
Rafique has more than two decades of experience, including a decade in business development. That career spans 4 years at Warner Bros. Discovery, rising from SVP to EVP, 9 years at Discovery and earlier experience at Dunya News.
What does Skydance do?
Skydance is a diversified media company founded in 2010 that creates event-level entertainment for global audiences across feature film, television and interactive platforms. The company is headquartered in Santa Monica, California.
· people and company records, retrieved November 1, 2026. Source: Crustdata.