Disney has announced the appointment of Adam Smith as the new Chief Product & Technology Officer for Disney Entertainment and ESPN. The announcement was made by Disney Entertainment Co-Chairmen Alan Bergman and Dana Walden, along with ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro.
In his new role, Smith will lead a comprehensive global product and technology division, encompassing both Disney’s entertainment businesses and its sports media operations. He will lead the technology vision and execution, focusing on advancing the company’s streaming services, digital consumer interfaces, in-house advertising technology and cutting-edge technology innovations.
Smith’s team will include a diverse group of professionals ranging from engineers and product managers to designers, data scientists and technical operations staff. He is set to begin his new role at Disney on September 3 and will report directly to Bergman, Walden and Pitaro.
The executive trio expressed their excitement about Smith’s addition to the team: “Adam’s appointment marks an exciting chapter for us as we continue to advance our technology prowess across our media and entertainment platforms. His forward-thinking approach and proven track record of leading large-scale technology initiatives make him the ideal leader to advance our consumer-centric strategies.”
Smith commented on his new role, “Joining Disney represents a unique opportunity to significantly impact the media landscape. Disney’s ongoing commitment to innovation and iconic portfolio of brands provide a fantastic foundation for further technological advancements. I look forward to collaborating with the leadership team to refine our consumer engagement and introduce transformative technologies that enrich our storytelling and audience experiences.”
Previously, Smith held a significant role at YouTube as Vice President of Product Management, where he led the Music, Premium, Subscriptions and Commerce businesses since 2016. His tenure at Google and YouTube, spanning more than two decades, includes key roles that contributed to substantial growth and the development of important consumer products. Most notably, he played a pivotal role in expanding YouTube’s Music and Premium services to over 100 million subscribers.
Prior to his time at Google, Smith held strategic roles at Random House/Bertelsmann and has served as a continuous member of the REDF board of directors since 2009. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of California, Berkeley, and an MBA from Stanford University.
