Corie Henson, the ex-NBCUniversal exec who worked on 'Beast Games,' is out. CEO Jeff Housenbold says he'll use the exit to sharpen execution and build new IP.
MrBeast's studio head is leaving after just under a year.
Corie Henson, a former NBCUniversal unscripted executive vice president, wrote in a Slack message shared internally by Beast Industries CEO Jeff Housenbold that the year had changed how she thought about YouTube and storytelling. She had moved from Los Angeles to Greenville, North Carolina, where MrBeast's operation is based, to take the job.
Housenbold told staff in his own Slack message that he would use the transition "as an opportunity to increase our execution while simultaneously strengthening our culture." He cited "ambitious content plans ahead," including Beast-branded content, "Beast Games," "The Most Dangerous Games," and new non-Beast programming under Watchtime Studios, and said more on the company's broader strategic and organizational plans would come in the near future. Henson, he added, would be around "for the next few weeks."
Henson was among a batch of hires with big media pedigrees, part of Beast Industries' push toward a Disney-style entertainment business. Hollywood has not always mixed with the scrappy creator culture that built MrBeast's channel. "I do not want to be Hollywood," Jimmy Donaldson once wrote in an employee guidebook, adding, "Get rid of Netflix and Hulu and watch tons of YouTube."
Three former employees who worked under Henson said part of her mandate under Housenbold was bringing financial discipline to video production, which is known for elaborate and costly spectacles. Change proved hard at Beast Industries, which has a history of freewheeling spending and a lack of production planning, they said.
Beyond "Beast Games," Henson helped develop new verticals focused on food and gaming. The food and gaming verticals sit at the center of Beast Industries' plan to reduce its reliance on its famous founder.
The turnover extends beyond Henson. Jenny Ramirez, a fellow NBCUniversal alum whom Henson brought over as head of creative content strategy, left in June after seven months on the job.
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