MrBeast Studios has named Justin Killion interim head of the division, filling part of the vacancy left by Corie Henson’s departure earlier this month, Business Insider reported, citing two people with knowledge of the matter.

Killion’s role covers Jimmy Donaldson’s main YouTube channel and its gaming vertical, a narrower mandate than Henson held. According to Business Insider, it excludes “Beast Games,” the Amazon Prime Video competition series that remains under co-creator and executive producer Tyler Conklin, and WatchTime Studios, the recently formed unit producing non-MrBeast content, which Beast Industries put under Adam Boorstin earlier this month. Killion will report to Beast Industries CEO Jeff Housenbold and work across Greenville, North Carolina, MrBeast’s home base, as well as New York and Los Angeles. The position has no defined end date, one of the people said.

Killion was president of Complex Networks until 2023, the youth-culture publisher BuzzFeed acquired for $300 million in 2021. He has since served as managing partner of Bright Bay Creative, an outside production company that has made more than 30 videos for MrBeast’s main channel, including 2023’s “7 Days Stranded At Sea,” which has drawn 438 million views.

The hire fills a gap left when Henson stepped down after roughly a year as president of Beast Industry Studios, departing to return to Los Angeles to be closer to family. Henson had joined from NBCUniversal, where she was EVP of unscripted content overseeing shows including “America’s Got Talent” and “The Voice,” as part of a broader push by Beast Industries to bring in executives with major traditional media pedigrees. Business Insider noted that where Henson came from Hollywood, Killion’s background sits closer to MrBeast’s own digital media roots.

With Boorstin now leading WatchTime Studios and Killion in place on an interim basis, one person with knowledge of the situation told Business Insider it is possible the company will not seek a direct, like-for-like replacement for Henson’s role.

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