YouTube Adds Netflix Content Chief And Ad Exchange Architect To VP Ranks

YouTube is continuing the spate of recent executive-level hires begun under CEO Susan Wojcicki with two new additions to the top-level team today, according to sources familiar with the matter and confirmed by YouTube.

The new hires include Netflix VP of Content Acquisition Kelly Merryman, who takes on the VP of Content Partnerships role at YouTube; and Eyal Manor, who was most recently in charge of Display Infrastructure and Mobile at YouTube Engineering, and who spearheaded the development of Google’s Ad Exchange. Manor’s new VP role will see him lead development efforts designed to help creators make and share videos, as well as manage their channels and engaged with their fan base.

Merryman will be based in Beverly Hills and will report to her old boss at Netflix Robert Kyncl, who heads Content and Business Operations at Google. Her tenure at the streaming video site included the acquisition of Orange Is The New Black, and House of Cards, to name a couple hits, and last year she spoke to the New York Times about how Netflix makes key content deals by watching what kind of shows do well on torrent sites.

Merryman should help with improving relationships between YouTube and established media makers, while Manor’s role will likely be more related to making sure that YouTube’s existing roster of amateur and homegrown streaming celebrity talent have the best tools available to serve their content (and that of YouTube’s advertising partners) to the best possible audience, with the maximum potential impact.

Merryman and Manor join other recent internal staff additions at the executive level, including Engineering VPs Venkat Pankapaschesan and Udi Manber, as well as UX lead Fred Gilbert. Wojcicki is clearly committed to making YouTube her own, and YouTube Music and Music Key are a clear product example of that beyond the ongoing reorganization efforts.