Disney has announced a realignment within the Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution Technology division of the company. Among the changes is the addition of three new leaders as well as elevated roles for several current team members.
What’s Happening:
- Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution (DMED) Technology has welcomed several new leaders to its ranks and realigned itself to support Disney’s continued growth.
- The realignment creates eight core groups within the DMED Technology group:
- Advertising Platforms
- Business Operations
- Consumer Experiences & Platforms
- Content Operations
- Content Platforms
- Design
- Engineering Services
- Media Engineering
- Additionally, DMED Technology’s Executive Vice President and CTO, Aaron LaBerge, announced the addition of three technologists to his senior leadership team and promoted several others to new roles. Joining his team are:
- Oke Okaro
- Jen Schwarz
- Mike White
- LaBerge has tapped other key leaders for updated and expanded roles in DMED Technology, including:
- Mike Andrews
- Tagu Kato
- Chris Lawson
- Michael Pollard
- Jeremy Helfand will continue to lead the group’s Ad Platforms team
- John Heerdt (previously Sr. Vice President, Media Engineering) will move into an advisory position to LaBerge and Pollard until the end of 2021 when he retires after more than 20 years with the company.
New Organizational Structure:
- This new alignment will allow the teams to:
- Create further connectivity and collaboration between software, platform, product, and service teams at all levels
- Enable the development, management and operation of a scalable and flexible combination of distribution technologies
- Support the DMED segment’s multiple lines of businesses
- Focus resources in critical areas
- Reinforce a culture of imagination and innovation
What They’re Saying:
- DMED Technology’s Executive Vice President and CTO Aaron LaBerge: “DMED Technology is among the most talented and innovative collection of people on the planet and I am inspired and privileged to work with them each day. This new alignment recognizes where our Company is today, where it is going tomorrow, and positions us to continue Disney’s legacy of using technology to bring amazing stories and products to consumers everywhere, drive businesses and power innovation. I’m energized to be welcoming new, talented colleagues to this incredible team as we ensure Disney remains at the forefront of the evolving future of media and technology.”
DMED Technology’s Leadership Roles:
- Andrews will lead the new Content Platforms team as Sr. Vice President, Content Platforms, DMED Technology. The Content Platforms team is responsible for building, advancing, and maintaining that global Media Supply Chain, enabling delivery and monetization for The Walt Disney Company’s unmatched collection of film and episodic content.
- Kato has been elevated to lead a new, centralized Design team as the Vice President, Design, DMED Technology. Kato and his team are responsible for product design, user experience, creative direction, production design, motion design, service design and more across the consumer and enterprise portfolio for DMED Technology.
- Helfand continues as Sr. Vice President, Ad Platforms, DMED Technology. He and his team partner closely with Disney Advertising Sales to deliver on an ambitious vision for a technology-powered advertising future at Disney.
- Lawson has been elevated to the newly created role of Sr. Vice President, Content Operations, DMED Technology. The Content Operations team will help streamline and modernize linear and digital operations, positioning DMED and Disney to accelerate its ongoing transformation and ensure it stays at the forefront of the industry.
- Okaro joins as Sr. Vice President, Business Operations, DMED Technology. His team will partner with DMED businesses, to deliver global program and project management, capital and portfolio management, investment and resource prioritization and planning, tracking and communication of performance, administrative services, and other key functions critical to the operation of DMED Technology.
- Pollard has been elevated to Sr. Vice President, Media Engineering. He will lead the team responsible for continuing to drive the industry-leading team responsible for the design and engineering behind DMED Technology’s global infrastructure and production facilities; programming & distribution of digital and linear networks worldwide; and more.
- Schwarz joins as Sr. Vice President, Engineering Services, DMED Technology. The newly-created role will lead a team that provides connectivity and services across all of DMED Technology.
- White joins as Sr. Vice President, Consumer Experiences & Platforms, DMED Technology. The newly-evolved team unites the engineering and product development teams responsible for the creation, development and growth of DMED Technology’s digital product portfolio.