In 2023, WWE underwent significant changes as Endeavor merged WWE and UFC into TKO Group Holdings. Following the merger, there were over 100 employee layoffs, including members of the talent roster and executives from the corporate headquarters. The latest round of firings targeted five Senior Vice Presidents within WWE.
During a discussion on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer revealed that among those let go were Michael White, who regularly participated in conference calls with investors. The reasoning behind these terminations was attributed to redundancies within the organization.
The conference call following TKO Group Holdings’ merger with WWE presented a different atmosphere compared to previous calls, with a notable absence of WWE representatives. Instead, Ari Emanuel and Mark Shipario, representing TKO, took charge of the call.
Among the key personnel terminated were Craig Stimmel (Head of Global Sales), Karen Mulane (Chief Accounting Officer), Stewart Frye (Senior Vice President of Streaming Technology), and Matt Guyer (Senior Vice President of Gaming). Notably, Michael White, with a tenure of around 17 years, was also among those let go.
Meltzer highlighted the expected nature of these cuts, drawing a parallel to UFC’s layoffs when Endeavor took over. The terminations affected individuals who played key roles in building the organizational structure of the company. The layoffs emphasized that no positions were considered sacred, with significant personnel changes occurring across various levels of the company.
“They cut five Senior Vice Presidents. They cut Michael White, who was on all of the conference calls, the investors calls every quarter.
“Most of the people who were cut, it was a business thing, and they had people already for the jobs, Craig Stimmel who was the head of Global Sales, I’m sure they had someone for that job. Karen Mulane, who was the Chief Accounting Officer, and Stewart Frye, who was the Senior Vice President of Streaming Technology, and Matt Guyer who was the Senior Vice President of Gaming.”
“So, they were some of the key people who was cut. Michael White was with the company for something like 17 years, he was always on those calls when they went through everything.”
