UPDATE: It appears that George Barrios and Michelle Wilson’s exit as WWE co-presidents could be the result of a disappointing fourth quarter in terms of financials. According to Dave Meltzer, as you can see below, Barrios and Wilson’s exits are due to the earnings, which are set to be announced Thursday, reportedly being “lower than expected”:
ORIGINAL: WWE is making some big changes in its corporate leadership, with co-presidents George Barrios and Michelle Wilson leaving the company completely. WWE announced on Thursday that Wilson and Barrios, who have served as co-Presidents since since February of 2018 and were part of developing and launching the WWE Network, will depart the company effective immediately, including their roles on the Board of Directors.
There was no permanent replacement announced for either person. The press release notes that Frank A. Riddick III, who has been on the Board of Directors for 11-plus years, will serve as interim CFO and report directly to Vince McMahon. A search is underway for a permanent CFO and Chief Revenue Officer.
Vince said of the change, “I would like to thank George and Michelle for their 10+ years of service and contributions to the organization. I am grateful for all that was accomplished during their tenure, but the Board and I decided a change was necessary as we have different views on how best to achieve our strategic priorities moving forward. We have a deep team of talented, experienced and committed executives across the organization, and the Board and I have great confidence in our collective abilities to create compelling content, engage our global fanbase across platforms, increase revenues, and drive shareholder value.”
Barrios has been with WWE since March of 2008, when he was hired as the CFO for the company. Wilson joined WWE in February of 2009 as Executive Vice President of Marketing.