Paramount Creates Standalone Division to Handle Labor Relations

Source: Hollywood Reporter

Longtime execs Nicole Lang and Sheldon Kasdan will lead the branch of the company in a move that seems designed to telegraph that Paramount is taking its relationships with unions seriously.

By Katie Kilkenny June 22, 2026 2:02pm

As Paramount races to consummate its bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, the company has formed a standalone industrial relations department led by longtime executives Nicole Lang and Sheldon Kasdan.

The company announced the creation of the department, which handles labor relations with Hollywood’s powerful unions, on Monday in a move that seems designed to telegraph that it is taking labor seriously as it attempts to consolidate two of the industry’s historic studios. Both execs have longstanding working relationships with Hollywood’s top unions, with Lang having joined the company in 2007 and Kasdan in 2016.

Lang and Kasdan report to Paramount Skydance’s chief legal officer Makan Delrahim. “Nicole and Sheldon have played a key role in navigating recent labor negotiations and strengthening our relationships with our partners across the industry,” Delrahim said in a statement. “Elevating Industrial Relations to a standalone division reflects both the importance of this work and our confidence in their continued leadership.”

Representatives from several unions offered their congratulations in statements. “As Paramount and the industry continue to evolve, it is encouraging and gratifying to know that the company’s emphasis on its relationship with the IATSE, and most importantly, the concerns of our members who will continue to provide invaluable services to their productions, remain in the forefront of their operations,” IATSE International president Matthew Loeb said. “The creation of a new Industrial Relations Division affirms the importance of labor relations and secures that attention to matters crucial to its labor force are addressed at the highest levels of the company.”

Read more: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/paramount-standalone-industrial-relations-division-1236627416/